Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Boa Constrictor Invades Brooklyn Home, Hides in Couch
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 18, 2009
Modified Feb 18, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 18, 2009
Modified Feb 18, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Two seven year old boys were coloring on the couch yesterday when a four foot boa constrictor peeked its head out from one of the couch cushions. "I felt something on my back," one of the boys, Jay Jhomar, tells the Post. "I was excited. At first I thought I found a toy in the couch... It was staring and waiting for someone to eat. I was a little scared, and we were screaming." Jay's mother Danielle summoned the police to her Bensonhurst home, and the snake was subsequently taken away by Animal Care and Control. It's believed to be an escaped pet, but the Post says boas are illegal to own in NYC and it will likely end up in an animal sanctuary. (Jay's futilely lobbying to keep it.) Danielle suspects the boa slithered in through an open window to try and get warm, but the Daily News has a more sinister theory: "The best guess is that the snake slithered into the first-floor apartment by way of a toilet." Aaaand we'll be refusing liquids and food until we can somehow forget about that image.
Tagged
bensonhurst
boa constrictor
brooklyn
couch
cushion
nyc
snake
sofa
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
ICE agent fires 7 rounds, shoots man in neck in NYC's Marble Hill, NYPD says
Police say the man arrived at a hospital in stable condition and a 5-year-old boy in his SUV is safe.
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 8, 2026 at 5:33 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 8, 2026 at 11:48 p.m. ET
Lazy drivers in Prospect Heights lose chance for 1 less day of alternate-side parking
A pilot found that drivers actually complied with alternate-side less when fewer days were in effect.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Lazy drivers in Prospect Heights lose chance for 1 less day of alternate-side parking
A pilot found that drivers actually complied with alternate-side less when fewer days were in effect.
By
Liam Quigley
Jersey City mayor shakes up staff amid $255M budget gap
By
Michael Sol Warren
Bronx residents will be exempt from new Medicaid work rule, state officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
MTA chair accuses Andy Byford, who's leading Penn Station rebuild, of going 'full MAGA'
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Carol Chen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .