Man arrested in Dallas Zoo crimes says he’d do it again

The man arrested in connection to the strange crimes at the Dallas Zoo has admitted to the crime, stating that he loves animals and that he’d steal more if he was released, according to court documents, via NPR.

Details: When Davion Irvin—24— stole two tamarin monkeys from the Dallas Zoo earlier last week, he left with the monkeys in hand on the city’s DART light rail system, CBS reported.

• According to BBC, Irvin told police that he waited until it was dark on Jan. 29th, hopped over the zoo’s fence, and cut through the monkey’s enclosure to take the monkeys, Bella and Finn.
• Irvin is currently being held on a $25,000 bond, CBS stated.

Other crimes: Police have linked Irvin to other crimes at the zoo, according to NPR. In the same house where the monkeys were found, police located pigeons, cats, dead feeder fish, and fish food that had disappeared from a staff-only portion of the zoo.

• He is also facing charges in relation to the escape of a clouded leopard named Nova, who went missing from the Dallas Zoo, via BBC. Irvin told police that he wanted to take the leopard, but was only able to pet her before she got on top of her enclosure.
• NPR states that Irvin is also assumed to be involved in the cutting of another monkey enclosure, and the mysterious death of an endangered vulture in January.

Looking back: The tamarin monkeys were found after police followed a tip from the public on Jan. 31, where they found the monkeys in the closet of an abandoned house, according to the Dallas Police Department.

• Previous Deseret News reporting on the case stated that the monkeys were found safe and unharmed and were returned to the zoo.
• Irvin is facing six charges of animal cruelty, Deseret reported. He was found by police after an employee at the Dallas aquarium recognized Irvin from news coverage when he approached the employee to ask about an animal.