Tiger spotted roaming Houston neighborhood; suspect arrested, tiger remains at large
05/11/2021 9:43 am PDT
UPDATE May 15, 2021:
Houston Police tweeted: "We are happy to report that the missing tiger seen in a Houston neighborhood last week has been found and appears to be unharmed."
HPD Major Offenders Commander Ron Borza is relieved “India” the 🐅 is now safe: https://t.co/3w2CZznKu9 pic.twitter.com/RiNviPFzq3
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) May 16, 2021 @houstonpolice
KHOU-TV reports Victor Cuevas's criminal defense attorney said a woman named Linda McIngvale, an acquaintance of Victor and Gia Cuevas, organized the handover of the Bengal tiger to police on Saturday, May 15.
On Sunday, the tiger, named "India," was taken to his new home in at the Cleveland Armory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas, where the cat be quarantined for 30 days before being introduced into a half-acre naturally-wooded habitat with a pool and trees, KHOU reports.
Victor Cuevas remained in custody.
HOUSTON (TCD) --
A Houston man suspected of keeping a tiger as a pet was arrested after neighbors spotted the tiger roaming a residential street Sunday. The tiger’s whereabouts remained unknown as of Tuesday.
Harris County Animal Cruelty personnel and Houston Police were called to investigate a report of a tiger seen outside a residence on the 1100 block of Ivy Wall Drive at about 8 p.m. Sunday, May 9, 2021.
Houston Police said the tiger’s male owner was seen “escorting the tiger to the residence then putting it into his vehicle,” a Jeep Cherokee.
Police said the man drove away at a high rate of speed. Responding officers attempted to pursue the man but reportedly lost sight of him.
The subject was described as a Hispanic man about 28 years old, standing 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing about 130 pounds. He was later identified as 26-year-old Victor Cuevas. He was charged with felony evading arrest for allegedly fleeing Houston Police officers.
“The tiger portion of the investigation is continuing,” Houston Police tweeted.
Later Monday, police said Cuevas was taken into custody, but said “the whereabouts of the tiger are not yet known.”
The Houston Chronicle reports Cuevas was free on bond in a 2017 murder case in Fort Bend County, Texas. Houston Police said Cuevas’s bond will be revoked in that case, KHOU-TV reports.
Cuevas’s attorney told media outlets that Cuevas is not the owner of the Bengal tiger, KHOU reports.
Tigers are not legally allowed as pets in Houston.
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