- The suspect charged in Dallas Zoo animal disappearances told police he 'loved animals,' the Dallas Morning News reported.
- Yet, police found he kept animals in an abandoned house in 'extreme poor conditions.'
The suspect arrested in connection with the theft of two monkeys at the Dallas Zoo told police he 'loved animals' and planned to steal more if he was released, according to an affidavit obtained by the Dallas Morning News.
Davion Irvin, 24, is currently in custody at the Dallas County Jail — he was arrested last week after being found at a nearby aquarium, according to Dallas police.
Police believe Irvin is the culprit behind recent mysterious incidents at the Dallas Zoo, the Dallas Morning News reported. The most recent incident that led to Irvin's arrest involved the disappearance of two emperor tamarin monkeys, which were later found in squalid conditions at an empty home about 20 minutes away from the zoo.
When police arrived at the abandoned house on January 30, they found the animals kept in "extreme poor condition," the Dallas Morning News reported. Police said two missing monkeys were in a closet without any access to outside light or air, surrounded by bird feces and feathers and moldy clothing, according to the Morning News.
Police also found a handful of cats in the home, along with 12 pigeons and some dead animals, including goldfish they believe were also stolen from the zoo, the Morning News reported.
The Morning News reported that police also found a number of items in the home that were stolen from a staff-only section of the zoo, including fish food, water chemicals, and training supplies.
Prior to the disappearance of the tamarin monkeys, police were investigating a number of other suspicious incidents at the Dallas Zoo.
First, on January 13, a clouded leopard disappeared after its enclosure had been reportedly tampered with (The leopard was later found unharmed on zoo grounds).
Then, zoo officials discovered that the enclosures of langur monkeys had also been cut open, though none had escaped.
And a week later, an endangered vulture named Pin was found dead under "unusual" circumstances, which police deemed "suspicious."
The Dallas police have charged Irvin with six counts of animal cruelty and two counts of burglary in connection to the incidents involving the tamarins, the leopard, and the langurs, Insider previously reported. Police are still investigating if Irvin is connected to the vulture's death.