Someone sent a live rattlesnake to a California man. He thinks it was an attempted murder.

A Southern California truck driver received an unexpected package containing a live rattlesnake, leading him to believe it was an attempted murder.

The man called 911 after picking up a package at the Twentynine Palms post office and making the discovery last week, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office told USA TODAY on Wednesday.

Officers responded and forwarded the report to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which is investigating, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Mara Rodriguez said. Animal Control took the snake into custody.

The driver, Elijah Bowles, 60, said someone placed cotton balls inside the box to block postal workers from hearing the snake’s rattle, according to the Los Angeles Times. He estimated the snake was about 2 feet long, the LA Times reported.

“It’s attempted murder, in my opinion,” Bowles told the newspaper.

Snake was in the mail system for 2 weeks

Bowles’ friend opened the package in a car as they drove away from the post office, the LA Times reported.

“When she opened the box, she almost threw it at me,” Bowles said. “And she said, ‘There’s a snake in there.'”

Bowles quickly stopped and placed the box outside near the sidewalk, using a stick to open it. He quickly called 911 and Animal Control.

A postal inspector said the package was marked “fragile” in black marker and listed a return address to a home in Palm Coast, Florida, the LA Times reported. The package was mailed to Hayward, California on May 3.

Rick Boyd, animal control supervisor at Twentynine Palms, said the reptile was a western rattlesnake, also known as the North Pacific rattlesnake, which is typically found in northern California rather than in southern California.

Anyone bitten by a rattlesnake should seek medical attention within half an hour, as a bite can be fatal if left untreated, according to Healthline. If left untreated, a rattlesnake bite can cause organ failure and death within two to three days.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California man who received a rattlesnake in the mail suspects attempted murder