California man arrested after 300 snakes found in his home

Television reporters Bobby DeCastro of FOX11, and Wendy Burch of KTLA 5 try to stave off the stench emanating from a house containing hundreds of snakes, many of them dead or decaying, in Santa Ana, Calif. At left, Sondra Berg, an animal services supervisor for Santa Ana police, holds an albino ball python that was one of the survivors.

By Elizabeth Chuck, Staff Writer, NBC News

An elementary school teacher was arrested Wednesday after police found at least 300 pythons slithering around inside his Southern California home -- and many more snakes dead.

Police and animal control officers served a search warrant Wednesday at 7 a.m. PT on the Santa Ana residence after neighbors complained of a foul odor coming from the house. Inside, they found hundreds of snakes, all believed to be pythons — some of which were dead.

William Fredrick Buchman, a teacher at Mariners Elementary School in Newport Beach, was detained on charges of animal cruelty, NBCLosAngeles.com reported.

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

Some of the snakes were caged, he said.

Police did not say whether other people lived in the home.

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, an animal services supervisor at the Santa Ana Police Department. "From skeletons to just dead in the last few days. There is an infestation of rats and mice. They are running loose all over the house. There are rats and mice in plastic storage tubs that are actually canabalizing each other." 

Officials said the house's front four rooms were packed floor to ceiling with snake cages, NBC Los Angeles reported. They said Buchman was breeding ball pythons to sell them.

Officials said the surviving snakes were being taken to a veterinary hospital for medication and feeding. 

Bruce Chambers / AP

9-year-old Ohio girl found in container, neighbor arrested

Wayne County Sheriff Department.Jarrod Metsger, 24, is suspected of killing a girl 9 years of age in Smithville, Ohio and filling his body in a dumpster on Saturday night. He was arrested on Sunday, December 15, according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Department.By Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC NewsA 9-year-old Ohio girl was found dead in a trash bin behind his house on Sunday morning and in the evening a neighbor had been arrested in connection with the killing, police said.The girl, Reann Murphy, was last seen playing outdoors at 17:30 on Saturday within the Smithville, Ohio mobile home park lived, according to the office of the Sheriff of the County of Wayne.Deputies responded first to the Park when Murphy has gone around 20:30 Saturday.  Police officers, firefighters and civilians searched the area surrounding the mobile home park.Deputies discovered the body of the girl in a dumpster in a nearby courtyard - about five hours later at 1:30 on Sunday, police said.Twelve hours later, Jarrod Metsger, 24, was arrested at his residence, which is 50 metres away from the home Murphy lived with his mother, said Wayne County Sheriff Travis Hutchinson.Metsger was an "acquaintance" of the family Murphy, according to Hutchinson.Hutchinson said Smithville, about 50 kilometers south of Cleveland - it is a 'United' community. "That's probably the reason why it is so difficult," to deal with the murder of a young resident, said."Any violent death is worrying, but the death of a child is much more. Will not leave any stone unturned as the investigation continues, "said Hutchinson.Marilyn Briggs, who lives in a house next to the mobile home park, told The Associated Press that the area is damaged, but it has not been aware of any serious crime in the area in eight years who has lived there."I get sick and I'm so sad for the family, and this close to Christmas," said Briggs. "It is frightening. Never you think that it will happen in your area."Hutchinson told NBC News that "nothing but neighborhood disputes" never are reported of Smithville.Metsger is the only person arrested in connection with the death of the girl and is set to be prosecuted on charges of aggravated murder in the Monday morning, said Hutchinson. Researchers still have not determined a motive, he said.

Bomb suspect's husband arrested after device found outside Washington state hospital

aKING-TVThe bomb was found Thursday morning in a car parked in front of the Harrison Medical Center emergency room in Bremerton, Wash., police said.By M. Alex Johnson, Staff Writer, NBC NewsA Washington state couple were ordered Friday held on $50,000 bond each after bombs were found outside a hospital and in their home.Krista Leeann Hendershot and Dennis Dale Hendershot Jr., both 43, were arraigned in Kitsap County District Court on felony explosives charges. Their next hearing was set for Dec. 3.Krista Hendershot was arrested Thursday after a State Patrol bomb squad found an explosive device in the car in which a good Samaritan had driven her to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton, about 20 miles west of Seattle, police said.A similar device was found in her mobile home in nearby Poulsbo, which police searched after questioning Hendershot.Late Thursday, Dennis Hendershot was arrested by police who'd staked out the home and waited for him to return. He initially was also charged with a misdemeanor count of violating a no-contact order, which was later dropped.Dennis Hendershot, a felon with previous burglary and drug convictions, is suspected of having made the bombs, police said.The bizarre story began early Thursday morning, when a motorist picked up Leeann Hendershot because she looked to be in "distress," police said. As he was driving her to the hospital, she told him she had a bomb, they said.The man alerted hospital staff, who called Bremerton police about 7:30 a.m.Police sealed off the area of the emergency room and called the State Patrol bomb squad, which found the device in the car parked out front, Bremerton police said in a statement. Officers described it as an "improvised explosive device" made up of an agricultural field bomb nestled in a ring of six carbon dioxide canisters.After police questioned Hendershot, the bomb squad found a second device wrapped in tape at her home and immediately evacuated surrounding homes, Poulsbo police said. Deputy Police Chief Robert Wright told NBC station KING of Seattle that the bomb was "very similar in nature to the one they took in Bremerton."Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com