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Bearded dragon shoplifted from Phoenix store stuffed in a woman's purse

A woman made a purchase at the store before grabbing the bearded dragon, named Ariel, from a tank and putting him in her purse, owner says.

PHOENIX — We do a lot of shoplifting stories at 12News. This is one we've never come across.

Picture this: You're a bearded dragon named Ariel living your best life at the aptly named Reptile Store in Ahwatukee. And then you're plucked from your tank by unfamiliar hands and stuffed into a purse.

You're a bearded dragon and lack a lot of self-awareness, but you've just been stolen on a Tuesday afternoon. 

Yes, this happened.

Ariel was stolen from a store in Ahwatukee Tuesday. The owners of The Reptile Shop are asking for the community's help to bring him home. 

It's a family-owned business on 48th Street and Chandler Boulevard and the owners posted photos and videos of Ariel's theft, with a woman putting him in her purse and leaving the establishment. The incident happened around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27. 

Co-owner of The Reptile Store Julia Arendse said the woman had come into the store previously. Before the woman took the bearded dragon, she placed an order for rodents for snakes she had at home, Arendse said. 

Arendse said the store was broken into during their first year of business, but this is the first time an animal has been taken. 

"That was the first time we've had someone like come in during business hours and take a living animal out of the store," Arendse said.

A bearded dragon is a "hardy" animal, Arendse said, but still has very specific diet, lighting and heating requirements. If the person who took the bearded dragon does not know those requirements or can't fulfill those needs, the bearded dragon could die. 

"Even just the way that she was grabbing him and he was flailing could have been enough to hurt himself," Arendse said. "If she doesn't have all the proper stuff, there is a very good chance that he will not survive or he'll do really badly."

Julia Arendse and her brother, Brett Arendse, opened The Reptile Store in 2020. The pair had worked in a reptile store previously and wanted to bring their passion to Phoenix.

Julia Arendse said they filed a police report with the Phoenix Police Department regarding the incident. 

"They pretty much told us there's not much that they can do," Julia Arendse said. "They told us to just post on social media."

On social media, many people have been sharing the surveillance video, and posting about the incident. Julia Arendse said she posted the video and photos on every platform she could, and friends and family have also posted about the incident.

"My phone has been blowing up since we posted it," Julia Arendse said. "It seems like people are equally as upset about the situation as we are and they really want to try to find out who she is." 

Phoenix police confirmed officers took a theft report on Wednesday.

"The item stolen was indeed a reptile," a spokesperson for the department said. 

If you have any information regarding the incident, you can contact The Reptile Store at 602-872-0367 or thereptilestoreaz@gmail.com. 

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