A Lakeside pet store break-in ended with deputies finding an 8-year-old boy nearby with a red fire sand boa, according to ABC 10News.

Deputies responded to Pet Supplies & More after a witness near a Dollar Tree reported seeing a young boy throw a chunk of concrete through the store's front door late Monday night, ABC 10News reported. The boy left the store with the snake before deputies located him near a Dairy Queen on Woodside Avenue.

Store owner Stacey Schultz-Cronin told ABC 10News the snake was returned and is being monitored because it is pregnant. She said the damage to the store's front door exceeds $2,000.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office told ABC 10News the boy was taken to a hospital for evaluation and that the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team is connecting his family with resources. Deputies said no arrest or charges are pending.

For Santee and Lakeside families, the case is a reminder that some law enforcement calls involving children can become mental health and family-resource responses rather than traditional criminal cases. The store remains focused on the animal's condition and the damage left behind.