By Theresa Vargas
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 26, 2007

A native to Central and South America, he was a foreigner here. An illegal whose kind -- Virginia law was clear -- was not wanted.

Authorities had no choice.

They seized the caiman -- a crocodilian reptile -- when they found it in an Occoquan home earlier this month. Police also arrested the man who they say tried to sell the creature. It's illegal to possess or sell a caiman.

"This is a predatory animal. We don't want them out in the wild in the commonwealth of Virginia," said Mark DiLuigi, a conservation officer with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

DiLuigi tracked the caiman to an Occoquan residence in the 400 block of Overlook Drive.

DiLuigi said that his office received a complaint about an advertisement on Craigslist, which was offering the reptile for sale. DiLuigi said he called the number in the ad and a man answered, identifying himself as "John."

John, he would later determine, was Sean W. Hammond, 21.

What happened next is outlined in an affidavit for a search warrant filed in Prince William Circuit Court.

Before hanging up, John told DiLuigi that it "was illegal to have these type of animals in Virginia but that there was no way for anyone to find out." They agreed to meet, and at 3:50 p.m. Aug. 8, a plain-clothed DiLuigi showed up at a parking lot in Occoquan. John wanted to check him out, the affidavit said. DiLuigi was invited to follow Hammond to the home on Overlook Drive.

In the bedroom, on a shelf above the bed, was an aquarium tank containing the caiman.

It was 17 or 18 inches long but could grow to three or four feet, DiLuigi said. He said he was allowed to touch and examine the caiman while the two talked about payment. The price was $425, including the tank and light, he was told.

DiLuigi said he left after expressing interest in buying the caiman. The next day, he said, John called and wanted to complete the deal.

This time, when DiLuigi and another officer showed up, they had a warrant. They arrested Hammond, charging him with possessing and selling illegal wildlife, the latter a felony because the price was more than $200.

Hammond was taken to the Prince William jail and was released Aug. 10 on $1,000 bond. His case is scheduled for a court hearing Sept. 11, DiLuigi said.

The caiman remains in the custody of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

"We are caring for it, and it is eating every day," DiLuigi said. " It looks very healthy."

The caiman will be kept until court proceedings begin, he said. Efforts will be made to find the reptile a home. He added that the animal has not endeared himself to all the employees.

"Some people like him, some people don't," DiLuigi said.