FORT WORTH - Usually, the "guests" are trying to find a way out of jail.
But recently, an unexpected visitor slithered his way inside Tarrant County's Greenbay jail facility in north Fort Worth, roaming the rafters until an inmate snitched him out."One of the inmates in the seven cell spotted it above his cell," said Cpl. Mike McNicholas of the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office. "Myself and Sgt. (Cedric) Dixon went up there into the pipe space and spotted it. It was an approximately 5-foot rat snake. It probably got in where we have exhaust fans in the wall or through the air-conditioner system's ducts but couldn't get back out."It was not McNicholas' first encounter with such an intruder.Last year, he found a large snake on his back deck and, fearing it was after his dog, was prepared to kill it with a hoe before a neighbor pointed out that it was a non-venomous rat snake."They're good for the environment," McNicholas said. They'll eat frogs and toads, but they primarily eat field mice. They normally live out in the grass area, but he got up into the ceiling and into the rafters and couldn't get out."So, while Dixon held the flashlight and blocked the snake's getaway, McNicholas collared the reptile."If we hadn't have found it, it would have probably stayed in there and died. There's no food source in there for it," McNicholas said. "We couldn't leave him up there. I don't think it could have gotten to where the inmates are, but we didn't want to take the chance of people freaking out."The snake did put up a small struggle."It bit my boot before I got ahold of its head," McNicholas said. "They've got teeth, but they're little bitty teeth, so I don't think it would have hurt me even if I would have gotten bit."The snake was pardoned for his unlawful entry and attempted assault on McNicholas. In fact, McNicholas himself carried it to a vacant lot near the jail, at 2500 Urban Drive, and released it unharmed by a natural creek, much to the relief of his colleagues."They were glad we got rid of it," he said. "It was definitely an unwelcome visitor."Deanna Boyd, (817) 390-7655Twitter: @deannaboydHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
