The suspect, Christopher M. Jackson, 32, earned his nickname for his method of slithering along the floors of businesses he has broken into, in an attempt to avoid setting off motion-detector alarms.
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Jackson, described as a transient, has been arrested and convicted in the past. Police say he pleaded guilty to 23 felonies and was ordered to serve six sentences of 16 months in jail, but ended up only spending 10 days because of overcrowding in the penal system.
He was released in November 2022 and police say he continued committing burglaries since then.
Two recent incidents linked to Jackson include a location in the Orangecrest neighborhood of Riverside on April 5 and a commercial burglary on Tyler Street on the night of April 12.
Caught on camera: Riverside 'snake burglar' slithers through salon, steals thousands
Caught on camera: Riverside 'snake burglar' slithers through salon, steals thousands
On that night, a security company monitoring surveillance video noticed a person peering into the front of a business and then tampering with the window. The company called police. Officers responded and, recognizing Jackson from past incidents, detained him.
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He was wanted on seven outstanding felony warrants for prior burglaries. Police say while Jackson was being booked, officers found methamphetamine concealed on him.
He was being held on $100,000 bail.
More details and video from Riverside police are available here on YouTube.
Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said Jackson's short time spent in jail illustrates the need for legislative reform.
"We must, as a community, advocate for ourselves and each other to pressure state legislators to make sound reasonable changes in these laws to protect our residents and businesses," Gonzalez said. "We do not want more punishment, but we do want more safety. Safety from being terrorized by habitual thieves feasting on us and on our justice system."