- The man accused of stealing two monkeys from the Dallas Zoo says he boarded a train with the animals.
- A rail official told NBC News he believes Davion Irvin put both monkeys in a "regular backpack."
The man suspected of stealing two emperor tamarin monkeys from the Dallas Zoo may have put both animals in his backpack, a rail official says.
Gordon Shattles, a vice president at the Dallas Area Rapid Transit, or DART, told NBC News he believes the monkeys were likely kept in a backpack while the suspect, Davion Irvin, took them on the city's light rail.
"From what we're hearing in initial reports, they're very timid creatures, which is probably why they stayed concealed inside a backpack easily," Shattles told NBC.
"I don't believe they posed any danger to the public — very small animals and easily concealable in a regular backpack," Shattles added.
Irvin told police he cut through the enclosure housing the monkeys, Bella and Finn, on the night of January 29, per county court documents seen by CBS News. Irvin said he took the monkeys with him and hopped on a train, after which he brought them to an abandoned home.
The Dallas police have asked DART to search their surveillance footage to try to place Irvin on the night he was said to have stolen the monkeys, Shattles told NBC News.
After a tip-off on January 30, police found both monkeys in an empty house in Lancaster, a town south of Dallas.
The two monkeys were found in a closet along with other animals like cats, pigeons, and some dead fish, per court documents seen by CBS News.
The closet was littered with bird droppings, feathers, and moldy clothing, The Dallas Morning News reported. Police told The Dallas Morning News the house was in an "extreme poor condition."
Irvin was arrested on February 2 and is currently in custody at Dallas County Jail. He said he "loved animals" and plans to steal more if he is released, per court documents obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
Irvin faces six charges of animal cruelty and two charges of burglary, per county jail records seen by Insider.
Representatives for Dallas County and DART did not respond immediately to Insider's requests for comment.