CNN
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The person who investigators say is linked to a string of bizarre animal habitat tamperings on the Dallas Zoo – together with the alleged theft of two tamarin monkeys – was indicted Tuesday on felony housebreaking fees, court docket information present.
Davion Irvin, 24, was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of housebreaking to a constructing, the information present. Dallas police have mentioned the fees relate to the suspected theft in late January of the tamarin monkeys and the mid-January disappearance of a clouded leopard from its enclosure after its fence had been lower.
Irvin is also dealing with six misdemeanor counts of non-livestock animal cruelty in reference to the monkeys, in keeping with police.
Irvin was arrested February 2, simply days after police say the tamarin monkeys had been deliberately taken from their zoo enclosure, which had been lower open. Two days earlier than Irvin’s arrest, police discovered the monkeys unhurt within the closet of a Dallas-area residence.
The indictment alleges that Irvin entered a constructing with out the zoo’s consent on the day the monkeys disappeared and “did then and there commit a theft.”
CNN has sought remark from Irvin’s public defender.
The suspect was arrested after being noticed at The Dallas World Aquarium, the place investigators “consider that he was seeking to commit one other crime,” a police spokesperson mentioned in February.
Investigators additionally accuse Irvin of coming into the Dallas Zoo within the early morning of January 13 and reducing the fence surrounding the habitat of a clouded leopard named Nova, allegedly meaning to take the animal, in keeping with arrest warrant affidavits.
Irvin allegedly instructed investigators he petted the leopard, however the 25-pound animal leapt too excessive in its enclosure, and he wasn’t capable of catch the animal, in keeping with the affidavits. He left the enclosure, however the leopard escaped by means of the lower he allegedly made, prompting the zoo to shut to the general public and conduct an hours-long seek for the animal, which was discovered close to its habitat later that day.
Within the case of the snow leopard, the indictment alleges Irvin had the “intent to commit theft.”
The unusual escapes had been a part of a sequence of different suspicious incidents involving animals on the zoo, together with cuts made to the enclosure of some langur monkeys and the loss of life of a vulture below “uncommon” circumstances,” the zoo mentioned.
Police mentioned they consider Irvin is linked to the langur monkey case, however not the loss of life of the vulture. No fees within the langur monkey case have been introduced.
In response to the occasions, the zoo heightened its safety, together with putting in extra cameras and growing patrols and in a single day workers.
Irvin is being held in a Dallas County jail with bond set at $130,000, jail information present.