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Man Bitten By Snake In Wal-Mart Garden Center

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Jul 15, 2009 2:56 pm US/Eastern

Man Bitten By Snake In Wal-Mart Garden Center

ST. AUGUSTINE (CBS4) ― Petunias, roses, hibiscus – snake.

A St. Augustine man was rushed to the hospital after he was bitten by a pygmy rattlesnake while shopping in the garden section of a Wal-Mart.

Jeriel Joiner, 27, said the snake locked onto his right index finger and wouldn't let got until he knocked it off. A Wal-Mart employee then killed it with a broom.

Joiner, who is in serious condition, is the fourth person to be bitten at a Wal-Mart store in Florida in the last three years.

Jay Richitelli, 42, was bitten in the right hand while in the garden center of the Pembroke Pines Wal-Mart, located in the 100 block of Southwest 18th Avenue, on July 6th 2008. Richitelli believes the snake that bit him was also a pygmy rattler. Richitelli was taken to Memorial Hospital Miramar where he was given anti-venin as a precaution. He later filed a suit against the company.

Wal-Mart spokesman Dan Fogleman said in a written statement that the safety of customers and employees is a top priority.

The garden center of the St. Augustine store will remain closed until the company can ensure that it is safe.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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