A beloved tortoise named Michelangelo is on the slow road to recovery after a homeless man allegedly broke into a San Jose preschool and stabbed him over the weekend.
Police said George Robles, 40, assaulted the pet Saturday at the Play ‘n’ Learn Preschool, stabbing a piece of wood and rake handle through his outer shell. Michelangelo, an African sulcate tortoise named after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character, is estimated to be about 70 years old.
"This is a brutal attack on something that can’t defend himself," Archvet Animal Hospital’s Dr. Tal Solomon told KPIX-5. "He can’t even run away. I’ve been doing this for almost 11 years now and this is a first for me."
A tortoise rescue program donated Michelangelo to the school four years ago.
He's expected to make a full recovery after surgery to repair the shell.
A GoFundMe has been started in his name.
Damage to the school is estimated at $1,800.
Robles was initially released after a 72-hour psychiatric evaluation, but is back in custody Monday night after reportedly returning to the school with a brick earlier in the day looking for the injured tortoise.
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