Man Arrested In Dallas Zoo Monkey Thefts Says He'd Steal More Animals If Released, Court Docs Show

A man linked to several strange incidents, including stealing two monkeys from the Dallas Zoo, told investigators he loves animals and would steal more if he got out of prison, new court documents show.

Davion Irwin, who was being held on $25,000 bail Wednesday, was arrested last week after raising questions about animals at the Dallas Aquarium.

A 24-year-old Texan was charged with six counts of animal cruelty and two counts of burglary in connection with the crime.

Irwin told police that on January 29, he waited until dark, jumped a fence to enter the zoo, cut the fence wire, and took two emperor tamarins, according to an arrest warrant. He then hopped into the city's light rail before heading to an abandoned house where he said he kept his pet.

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After receiving leads from the public, police found the monkeys in an abandoned house in a suburb of Dallas about 15 miles south of the zoo on January 31, the day after they disappeared.

The house also contained cats and pigeons, as well as dead fish and fish food which went missing from the grounds belonging to the zoo keepers in early January, but there were no reports of thefts at that time.

Strange series of events

Irwin's arrest follows a series of strange occurrences at the zoo over the last few weeks, including the escape of another animal and the death of another.

The first odd thing happened on January 13 when the zoo closed after the disappearance of a clouded leopard named Nova. They found him at the zoo and kept him safe. Harrison Edel, executive vice president of animal care and conservation at the Dallas Zoo, said Nova's enclosure was damaged that morning.

The following day, January 14, Dallas Police opened a criminal investigation and found that langur monkeys had been intentionally slaughtered at the compound. No monkeys were lost or injured. Investigators also found that the leopard's net was deliberately cut.

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On January 21, Pin, a 35-year-old critically endangered vulture, was found dead in his home. The zoo said the veterinary team "found unusual injuries and injuries that do not suggest natural death."

Was Irwin to blame for all that happened?

Police said Irwin was charged with two freak accidents and was involved in another.

Nova was also charged with theft in connection with the escape, court documents show. Irwin told investigators he wanted to get hold of Nova, but was able to pet him before entering his yard, according to his arrest affidavit.

Police said they linked Irwin to the langur's detention, but he was not charged with the crime on Wednesday.

Credit: Associated Press

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking news for USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.