How awful :( I hope they get her back safe soon n/p

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Posted by bexley on October 17, 2002 at 10:41:49:

In Reply to: FL press:Englewood Diner owners lament stolen iguana posted by desiree on October 17, 2002 at 10:26:50:

:10/17/02
:Englewood Diner owners lament stolen iguana

:
:ENGLEWOOD -- Tony and Kim Spatorico are mourning the loss of one of their "babies."

:Izzy, one of four iguanas that live a life of luxury perched on tree limbs in front of the Spatoricos' Olde Englewood Diner on West Dearborn Street, was stolen from her cage Tuesday afternoon.

:"I still call Izzy the baby, even though she is 2 years old," Kim said Wednesday.

:Izzy, who is about 5 feet long, became a part of the Spatorico family about a year ago when a customer brought her into the diner in a Federal Express box. The Spatoricos agreed to take in the young lizard and gave her to their 10-year-old son, Aaron.

:"Aaron is so worried about that iguana," Kim said. "He's in tears. He is so afraid Izzy won't eat right or will get cold. All he wants is his iguana back."

:While they have no proof, the Spatoricos are pretty sure what happened to their beloved pet.

:At about 2 p.m. Tuesday, five people came in for lunch. According to Kim, the group consisted of three women and two teens, a girl and a boy. The group mentioned they were from Detroit.

:"The two teens were outside almost the whole time playing with Izzy," Kim said.

:The teens came back to the restaurant about 5:30 p.m. The girl said she had lost her identification card while the boy stayed outside near the iguana cages.

:"He had a black bag with him," Tony said. "When I looked outside, they and Izzy were gone."

:The Spatoricos filed a report with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

:"We don't want to press charges," Tony said. "We just want Izzy back."

:"They can leave her in a box taped up with holes in it if they want," Kim added. "Just bring her back to my son."

:The Spatoricos aren't the only ones worried about Izzy -- his surrogate mother, Lizzy, hasn't moved since Izzy's disappearance, Kim said.

:"Lizzy had laid 52 eggs when we first got Izzy but none of them hatched," Kim said. "Iguanas are sensitive creatures. She was getting sick so we put Izzy in with her. The two have been inseparable since. Now Lizzy just lays there. I'm afraid she'll get sick."

:Anyone with information about the disappearance of Izzy can call the Spatoricos at (941) 473-1858 or the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Englewood Community Policing Office at (941) 474-3000.

:You can e-mail Alyssa Schnugg at schnugg@sun-herald.com

:
:By ALYSSA SCHNUGG

:Englewood Assistant Editor

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Re: How awful :( I hope they get her back safe soon n/p thierry 10/17/02 (0)