A 24-year-old man was arrested in connection to the thefts of two emperor tamarin monkeys from the Dallas Zoo, authorities said Friday.
A real zoodunit: Monkeys found but mystery deepens in Dallas
Dallas police said they safely located two emperor tamarin monkeys that had been missing after their enclosure was cut open.
According to the Dallas Police Department, Davion Irvin was arrested on Thursday after being spotted near the animal exhibits at The Dallas World Aquarium.
Earlier this week, police released a picture of a man they were seeking to speak with regarding the monkey thefts. The man was seen in a blue hoodie, eating Doritos. Police confirmed the man in the picture is Irvin.
He was booked into the Dallas County jail and has been charged with six counts of animal cruelty.
The monkeys were reported missing on Monday morning. Authorities said their enclosure was cut, allowing someone to gain access to the animals. They were found a day later at an abandoned home near the zoo, police said.
Emperor tamarin monkeys, Bella and Finn, were so happy to snuggle into their nest sack here at the Zoo last night! Our vet and animal care teams have said, beyond losing a bit of weight, they show no signs of injury. pic.twitter.com/Nf5DXvGxJX
— Dallas Zoo (@DallasZoo) February 1, 2023
The missing monkeys were the latest in a string of odd events at the zoo. The zoo reports that other enclosures have been cut recently.
A leopard escaped from its cage in January. It was found hours later on zoo grounds.
The zoo is also investigating the death of an endangered vulture. Officials called the death suspicious.
Irvin has only been charged in connection to the case of the missing monkeys. However, the Dallas Police Department said he could face more charges in the future if investigations determine he had a role in the other incidents.
