California man arrested after 300 snakes found in your home

Bruce Chambers, / AP

Bobby DeCastro of FOX11 and Wendy Burch of KTLA 5 TV reporters try to circumvent the stink emanating from a House that contains hundreds of snakes, many of them dead or decaying, in Santa Ana, Calif. On the left, Sondra Berg, a supervisor of animal for Santa Ana police services, holds an albino ball Python who was one of the survivors.

By Elizabeth Chuck, writer, NBC News

A primary school teacher was arrested Wednesday after police found at least 300 Pythons slithering inside his home in Southern California - and many more dead snakes.

Police and animal control officers served a search warrant Wednesday 7 a.m. PT in the residencia Santa Ana when neighbors complained of a foul smell from House. Inside, hundreds of snakes were found, all believed that Pythons - some of whom died.

William Fredrick Buchman, a teacher at the elementary school in Newport Beach Mariners, was arrested on charges of animal cruelty, NBCLosAngeles.com reported.

The snakes were "mostly live, but there were some dead, along with some mice and rats." I don't know if that's what fed off them, "said Santa Ana Police Department watch Commander Bill Nimmo.

Some of the snakes were caged, he said.

Police did not say if others lived in the House.

Reporters outside the House held their noses against the stench as plastic trays containing snakes were brought out and placed on a sidewalk.

"There are all forms of decay," said Sondra Berg, a supervisor of animal services in the Santa Ana Police Department. "From the skeletons of dead in recent days. There is a plague of rats and mice. They are on the loose around the House. There are rats and mice in plastic tubs that are actually canabalizing each other."

Officials said that front four rooms in the House were packed floor to ceiling with snake cages, reported NBC Los Angeles. They said that Buchman was breeding ball Pythons for sale.

Officials said that the surviving snakes were carried to a veterinary hospital for food and medicines.

Bruce Chambers / AP

A TV cameraman recorded snakes taken from a house in Santa Ana on Tuesday.

This story was originally posted on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 11:37 AM EST