Man Attacked by Pet Gila Monster Faces Probation

A San Pedro man who had to be hospitalized after being attacked by his pet—a potentially deadly banded Gila monster—will be spending three years on probation and must attend 16 animal neglect classes for illegally possessing the animal and a pair of rattlesnakes, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office announced today.

During his sentencing hearing yesterday, Derek Nathaneal Castaneda, 34, was also ordered to pay the Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Preservation Fund $1,000 and attend 52 Alcoholics Anonymous classes, according to city prosecutors.

Castaneda was convicted of unlawful possession of a native California reptile species and the unlawful keeping of a wild reptile without a permit. He was on probation at the time for an earlier DUI case, according to the City Attorney's Office. State officials were notified on Jan. 12 that Castaneda had been attacked by the Gila monster, had lost consciousness and had to be taken to a hospital, according to prosecutors. The Gila monster's venom is potentially lethal.

Officials found the 18-inch Gila monster in his home and turned it over to the Orange County Zoo. Animal-services workers also found two rattlesnakes, which are illegal to possess without a permit. The snakes were euthanized.