In a shocking case of animal cruelty where a rare patas monkey was killed for no apparent reason in an Idaho Zoo, the Boise Police Department has announced that they have apprehended and charged one man with felony burglary and grand theft, as reported by the Associated Press for Yahoo News and several others.
Arrested was M.W., 22, while the police are still seeking another man, believed to have been involved.
The patas monkey died due to blunt-force trauma. Due to killing livestock – of a worth that exceeds $150 – Idaho law allows prosecutors to charge M.W. with grand theft.
No reason for the attack has yet to be determined.
A tipster, that recognized the hat that was found in the animal's enclosure as one that resembled one worn by M.W. in the zoo that day, led police to M.W.
A security guard was able to scare off the two intruders that entered Zoo Boise that night, however, they had left behind the seriously injured patas monkey in their wake. The animal died shortly after the attack.
M.W. went to the hospital for treatment of injuries he sustained in the upper section of his torso, at some point after the break in. Boise Police Chief M.M. told reporters that the excuse for his visit to the hospital "did not seem to mesh up with the injuries" he had sustained.
Investigators, yet to question M.W., have not said if they believe the episode was a prank gone wrong, or if more violence in the zoo had been planned. Masterson added that both the department and the community at large is both "angered and outraged over this senseless crime. The loss of this patas monkey has touched many lives, including our officers and investigators."
There are no surveillance videos available of the attack, as the zoo uses foot patrol guards to cover the grounds at night.
The guard that spotted a man in the patas enclosure also spotted a second man on the other side of the perimeter fence that is near to the primate exhibit. When the two intruders took off on foot, one ran into the zoo. It is the man that was by the fence that investigators believe was M.W.
S.B., the zoo director, said that he joined the police as they searched the grounds. During the search they heard the monkey, groaning and badly injured outside of its exhibit. They were able to get the animal to the zoo's hospital – however it was too late, the animal died a few minutes later due to blunt force trauma to its head and neck.
No other animals were found missing or hurt in an ensuing inventory of the zoo.
According to court records, M.W has a record that includes drug arrests. It has yet to be determined if drugs or alcohol played a role in the attack.
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