Southern California Truck Driver Receives Live Rattlesnake in Suspicious Package; Wants to Press Attempted Murder Charges against the Conspirator

A truck driver in Southern California was shocked to receive an unexpected package containing a live rattlesnake, which left him suspicious of foul play.

Last week, the man made a startling discovery after picking up a package at the Twentynine Palms post office. He immediately called 911 to report the incident, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office Department.

Officers promptly responded to the incident and have since passed on the report to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The dedicated team at the service is currently conducting a thorough investigation into the matter, as confirmed by sheriff’s office spokesperson Mara Rodriguez. Animal Control has apprehended the snake.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the driver, 60-year-old Elijah Bowles, reported that cotton balls were found inside the box to muffle the sound of the snake’s rattle, hindering postal workers from detecting it. According to the LA Times, he estimated the snake to be approximately 2 feet in length.

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“That’s attempted murder, if you ask me,” Bowles remarked.

According to the LA Times, Bowles’ friend opened the package in a car while they were leaving the post office.

“When she opened the box, she threw it at me almost,” Bowles said. “And she says, ‘There’s a snake in there.'”

Bowles promptly stopped and placed the box outside near the curb, using a stick to open it. He quickly dialed 911 and Animal Control for assistance.

According to a postal inspector, the package had a “fragile” label written in black marker and included a return address to a residence in Palm Coast, Florida, as reported by the LA Times. The package was sent from Hayward, California, on May 3.

Rick Boyd, the Animal Control supervisor for Twentynine Palms, mentioned that the reptile discovered was a Western rattlesnake, commonly known as the Northern Pacific rattlesnake. Interestingly, this species is typically found in Northern California rather than Southern California.

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