10-foot python found during San Francisco Bay Area sideshow bust

SAN FRANCISCO — A 10-foot python was discovered in a vehicle during a raid on an illegal carnival in the San Francisco Bay Area that drew hundreds of people, authorities said.

The Vallejo Police Department said officers received multiple calls Friday night around 11:12 p.m. about a sideshow involving about 500 vehicles in that Bay Area city. Drivers were blocking traffic, aiming lasers at other motorists and spinning their vehicles, according to a police statement.

The occupants of a Cadillac shone a laser in the eyes of officers, prompting police to conduct a traffic stop, police said. But the driver led police on a 10-mile (16-kilometer) chase to the town of Hercules, where the driver and three occupants bailed out.

Inside the vehicle, police found the 10-foot (3-meter) python. The driver was arrested on multiple charges, including felony evasion. The passengers were issued tickets for violations.

Vallejo is located approximately 5-0 kilometers northeast of San Francisco.