Florida reptile store owner put lizard in mouth, smacked employees with critter in attack

FLORIDA -- A Florida reptile store owner made notorious after a man died during a 2012 insect eating contest at the business is behind bars after he smacked employees with a bearded dragon lizard and even put it in his mouth during a bizarre attack, police said.

Benjamin Herman Siegel, 40, faces several charges, including battery and cruelty to animals after the incident Friday at Ben Siegel Reptiles, his Deerfield Beach, Fla., business.

 

The owner is seen on surveillance tape throwing the lizard in the air and swinging it around, according to a Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest report obtained by WTVJ-TV. Siegel was also allegedly seen slapping his employees with the helpless critter and throwing Gatorade on the workers at the store along West Hillsboro Boulevard.

It’s unclear if the lizard was killed.

Siegel faces battery and cruelty to animal charges.

Siegel’s exotic pet store made national news in October 2012 after Edward Archbold 32, choked and died while gobbling dozens of roaches and worms during an insect-eating contest.

Archbold was the winnging contestant of more than 30 who downed the bugs in an effort to take the grand prize, a ball python. At the time, Siegel said the bugs were raised in captivity as pet feed.

He mourned Archbold as “a super nice guy.”

“He was outgoing. He was the life of the party,” Siegel said then.

Siegel did not immediately return a request for comment.

(NY Daily News - Jan 5, 2015)