Folks, you need to brace yourselves, for you are about to learn of a level of genius rarely seen. The boldness and ingenuity of the people in this story is unlike anything else. Truly.

They are the brightest candles on the cake and the sharpest tacks in the box. A crew of thieves decided it’d be a good idea to steal a shark from the San Antonio Aquarium, and they pulled off their caper by dressing it like a baby.

Yep, you heard that right. Suspect Anthony Shannon and two accomplices are seen on this surveillance video grabbing a two-foot horn shark from an open tank at the aquarium. The shark – named Miss Helen – is wrapped up and carried off camera, where the thieves are busy placing her in a bucket.

When they return into view, they place the shark into a stroller, and strolled out. An employee tried to intervene, but the sharknappers got away. However, their plan didn’t work out as they expected.

Police tracked down the ringleader, Shannon, to a residence in the area, and he was quickly arrested. Fortunately, Miss Helen was recovered in good condition and returned safely to the aquarium. Cops also found other marine animals in tanks at the man’s home.

After being released on bail, Shannon told local news station KENS5 that he hatched the plan because he considers himself an animal activist. He said that he had concerns about the track record of the aquarium and animal deaths and figured he was rescuing a distressed animal.

In his mind, he was doing this shark a favor:

“It was wrong to just take him like that. But, at that point in time, it was just something that I had to do.”

Describing his actions, he said he watched other aquarium guests touching and playing with the shark and felt like it was being harmed. It was then he made his move:

“I pulled the net out, I told the customers to get out of the way, ‘I’m going to quarantine the shark’. I’m an activist, not a criminal, and basically I don’t want to produce any crimes that will make me lose my family or big charges and to open an eye and make things better.”

Shannon is being charged with felony theft of property but it is unclear if the others are being charged. In an odd turn of events, an online petition is being circulated to shut down the San Antonio Aquarium’s touch pool. Over 20,000 people have signed the Care2 petition citing that the interactive nature of the exhibit stresses out the animals.

No matter the outcome of the court case or petition, the brazenness of this act was only offset by its comedic element. Just watch the video with your own eyes to see all the ways this is wrong and unbelievable. You couldn’t make this stuff up.

Did you laugh or gasp about this fish caper? What do you think of the shark thief’s reasoning for his crime? Are you a fan of aquarium touch pools?