confessed to stealing two tamarin monkeys and attempting to steal the cloud snow leopards last month, according to police search documents, and this follows a pattern of questionable behaviors at the Dallas Zoo.
The affidavits state that Davion Irvin allegedly informed police that once he is released from prison, he intends to go back to the zoo and take additional animals.
Irvin, 24, was detained by Dallas police last week and is now facing charges for multiple charges of animal cruelty and two counts of breaking into a property. According to inmate search data, he is being held at the Dallas County Jail under a $25,000 bail. At this moment, CNN is unable to ascertain whether Irvin has a lawyer.
New information regarding the strange case that has captured the country's interest recently and caused some alarm among zoo workers is revealed in his search warrant paperwork.
After a saga of strange occurrences at the zoo that included a leopard, langur monkeys, and a vulture's fatality, the monkeys were finally located at an abandoned building in the Dallas area. However, their elimination prompted an increase in security, along with more cameras, patrols, and nighttime staff.
The papers state that on January 13 in the early morning hours, Irvin reportedly broke into the Dallas Zoo during off-hours and purposefully cut the walled cage housing the blurry snow leopard. The docs indicate that Irvin then went into the leopard's habitat and stole it; the leopard is worth between $3,500 and $20,000 in total.
Irvin reportedly told detectives he petted the 25-pound leopard, but he was unable to trap it because it leaped up into the top of the enclosure. He exited the exhibit with the cut still visible, and the leopard ran away. When zoo officials realized the animal was missing later that morning, they began an hours-long search for it.
The cat was discovered on zoo grounds that afternoon on January 13 following a frenzied hunt and police assistance.
Approximately 2 weeks later, an unidentified person invaded the lemur's monkey display through an unsecured door, cut the cages, and took two monkeys, according to the papers. This criminal act, which occurred on January 30, was not recorded by a camera.
An individual resembling Irvin allegedly asked zoo staff members detailed and "obscure" inquiries about how to care for the giant panda monkeys and other wildlife in the days before the theft of the monkeys, according to the papers.
Investigators claim that the accused was observed that day trying to enter private spaces near the monkey exhibit as well. They also claim that he was seen on trail cameras eating a bag of chips close to the display.
The affidavits state that another wildlife habitat next to the leopard and monkey habitats was also discovered to be cut. Investigators were also made aware of cybercrimes from early January, including the stealing of training manuals, water treatments, and feeding fish from an area of the otter exhibit that was solely accessible to personnel.
Police had published Cctv and a picture of the offender on January 31 when Irvin was recognized and designated as a possible suspect.
Police got a tip about the abandoned Lancaster home that day from a man whose father serves as a church minister. According to the tip, Irvin frequented the residence, and the pastor gave the police permission to search the property.
Police searched the house and discovered the two tamarin monkeys there, but no one else. According to the affidavits, the house also included numerous cats, birds, and objects that were missing from the otter exhibit.
The interior of the house, according to the detectives, was "in extremely poor condition," with animal bones, maybe cat litter, damp, and fungus.
Dallas is located roughly 15 miles south of Lancaster.
The affidavits state that even though Irvin wasn't inside the house, authorities discovered a pair of Nike sneakers that matched the ones Irvin was sporting in the pictures taken by zoo cameras.
According to the papers, Irvin was seen on February 2 visiting the Dallas World Aquarium where he reportedly questioned staff members about the monkeys that were there. Irvin was identified by zoo staff from the publicized photo, and police were informed. Irvin was detained by police after they followed him aboard a commuter train.
Source: CNN News
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