Suspected Zoo Thief Found Incompetent to Stand Trial, Animal Cruelty Charges Dropped.

Davion Irvin was arrested in 2023 in Dallas and has now been found incompetent to stand trial twice. He still faces two felony counts of burglary.

By Kelly Dearmore

February 9, 2024

Image: Two emperor tamarin monkeys were stolen from the Dallas Zoo in 2023.

The man suspected of stealing two emperor tamarin monkeys in 2023 will not stand trial. Yet. courtesy Dallas Zoo

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The man arrested for stealing animals from the Dallas Zoo in 2023 will not face animal cruelty charges after being found incompetent to stand trial, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Davion Irvin, 25, was charged with six counts of animal cruelty after being apprehended a year ago. Police found two emperor tamarin monkeys, Bella and Finn, along with a number of other animals in an abandoned house before eventually arresting Irvin at a DART stop in downtown Dallas. Those charges have reportedly been dropped as Irvin will now be sent to a state hospital for further evaluation.

“After an investigation, Irvin was still found to be incompetent but had already spent more time in county jail than the maximum punishment for his alleged crimes, according to the orders for dismissal filed Monday,” the Morning News report noted.

This is only the latest instance of Irvin being found incompetent to stand trial. In July, he was sentenced to an inpatient treatment facility after a doctor’s evaluation.

Upon his January 2023 arrest, Irvin was candid with police about his involvement in stealing the monkeys as well as his intentions to continue stealing other animals. He had been seen at the Dallas World Aquarium asking employees about various animals there around that time as well. He also confessed to cutting open the enclosure of one of the zoo’s female clouded leopards, Nova, shortly before he took Bella and Finn from their enclosure.

The abandoned house where the emperor tamarin monkeys were found also had cats, pigeons and fish, according to police reports.

Although the misdemeanor animal cruelty charges have been dropped, Irvin still faces two felony counts for the monkey burglary.

Kelly Dearmore is news editor of the Dallas Observer. He’s held the position since November 2022. Since joining the team, Kelly has covered topics such as state and local politics, crime and public safety, education and immigration. A native Texan, Kelly has contributed to other publications including Texas Monthly, Dallas Morning News, Success Magazine and Cowboys & Indians Magazine.

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