All charges against Dallas Zoo monkey theft suspect dismissed
Davion Irvin (Source: Dallas Jail)
DALLAS - All charges against a man accused of stealing two monkeys from the Dallas Zoo have been dismissed.
Dallas Zoo Monkey Theft
What's new:
According to court documents filed in June, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office motioned to dismiss two felony burglary of a building charges against Davion Irvin.
The motion states Irvin is "mentally ill and was found incompetent to stand trial."
Since then, he’s spent more time in jail or at a state hospital receiving mental health services than the maximum time allowed for punishment in the case.
The two charges were the final two that Irvin faced. Several misdemeanors were dismissed in February 2024 for the same reason.
Dallas Zoo monkey theft suspect's misdemeanor charges dismissed, court docs show
Some of the charges against a man accused of stealing two monkeys from the Dallas Zoo have been dismissed.
The backstory:
Police said Davion Irvin confessed to stealing two emperor tamarin monkeys in January 2023.
The animals were later found safe at a vacant home in Lancaster, a few miles south of the zoo.
Irvin is also accused of cutting enclosures in another monkey exhibit and the clouded leopard habitat. One clouded leopard escaped but was later found on the zoo grounds.
Dallas Zoo missing monkeys suspect planned to keep stealing animals, court docs reveal
Police say the man suspected of stealing two monkeys from the Dallas Zoo last week admitted he broke into the zoo at night, stole the monkeys and then took them on a DART train to an abandoned house.
According to court documents, Irvin told investigators after his arrest that he planned to steal more animals because he likes animals.
A Dallas County grand jury indicted him for misdemeanor animal cruelty and felony burglary charges.
Irvin was found incompetent for trial by a court-ordered psychiatrist in August 2023.
The Source: The information in this story comes from court documents and past news coverage.