50-year-old reptile wholesaler employee accused of stealing python, tortoise eggs from his employer

COLLIER COUNTY, Florida -- Police have arrested a man after they say he stole 60 reptile eggs from his employer. Authorities say the suspect, Wayne Simmons, lived right down the street from the reptile wholesaler where he worked. His boss says something he did finally tipped her off to his scheme.

"We liked Wayne and thought he was a good employee and never thought he would do that to us," Kim Bell, owner of Reptile Industries said.

Police say Simmons stole 60 pythons and tortoise eggs over a two-month period from Reptile Industries.

Bell became suspicious when she says Simmons started buying a slew of mice.

"When he kept increasing the number of mice that he was buying to feed the snakes, it set off a red flag," Bell said.

That red flag led detectives to Simmons' home, right down the street from where he worked.

Some of the eggs he had taken had hatched. Neighbors say the snakes and tortoises could've slithered out of the house.

"We already have problem with the pythons. We have problems with our own native species at this point," Colleen Engel said.

Simmons turned over some of the reptiles to authorities.

Meanwhile, Bell is changing security policies at Reptile Industries. Every employee's bag must be checked before they leave for the evening.

"We're going to start new protocols as well, to make sure that we're able to check things maybe use clear bags and things so that people aren't leaving with animals," Jamie Cassin with Reptile Industries said.

Sheriff's deputies investigated Simmons for a month before he was arrested.

Police say 50-year-old Simmons confessed to the crime -- and he remains in jail on grand theft charges.