Man mauled by tiger at Bronx Zoo pleads not guilty
Posted:
Updated:
The man who jumped into the tiger exhibit at the Bronx Zoo and was mauled said he had "a desire to be one with the tiger."
NEW YORK (AP) - A man who jumped into a tiger den at the Bronx Zoo and survived a mauling has pleaded not guilty to trespassing charges.
The Bronx district attorney's office said David Villalobos was arraigned Friday and released until another court appearance March 12.
Villalobos, 25, had told investigators that his Sept. 21 leap was not a suicide attempt but "a desire to be one with the tiger." He jumped from a monorail car in the zoo's Wild Asia exhibit and cleared a 16-foot-high fence.
A 400-pound Siberian tiger named Bashuta attacked him. He suffered bites and several other injuries.
He was rescued by zoo officials, who used a fire extinguisher to chase the animal away.
According to the complaint, Villalobos told an officer, "I was testing my natural fear."
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Friday, May 17 2013 10:05 AM EDT2013-05-17 14:05:18 GMT
It's all about the Bronx as the borough celebrates a week of festivities honoring it's people and the many businesses and establishments that call it home.
It's all about the Bronx as the borough celebrates a week of festivities honoring it's people and the many businesses and establishments that call it home.
Thursday, May 16 2013 6:06 PM EDT2013-05-16 22:06:34 GMT
A smuggling ring that made a fortune selling more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes in New York may have funneled some of the illicit proceeds to terrorist groups, authorities said.
A smuggling ring that made a fortune selling more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes in New York may have funneled some of the illicit proceeds to terrorist groups, authorities said.
Thursday, May 16 2013 1:17 PM EDT2013-05-16 17:17:42 GMT
Several New York lawmakers are sounding the alarm about security and safety lapses at day care centers across New York City.
Several New York lawmakers are sounding the alarm about security and safety lapses at day care centers across New York City. In a report released Thursday, dozens of daycares cited by the Dept. of Health for serious and critical health code violations since 2010, have not fixed the problems and continue to operate without penalty.
Wednesday, May 15 2013 11:08 PM EDT2013-05-16 03:08:35 GMT
A judge in Manhattan put the brakes on the so-called Taxi of Tomorrow because the Nissan-built minivan does not come in a hybrid version -- a violation of the city code.
A judge in Manhattan put the brakes on the so-called Taxi of Tomorrow because the Nissan-built minivan does not come in a hybrid version -- a violation of the city code.
Wednesday, May 15 2013 3:39 PM EDT2013-05-15 19:39:09 GMT
Yankee Stadium will host two outdoor regular-season hockey games in January 2014, the National Hockey League announced. The New York Rangers will play the New Jersey Devils, Sunday, January 26. Then the
Yankee Stadium will host two outdoor regular-season hockey games in January 2014, the National Hockey League announced. The New York Rangers will play the New Jersey Devils, Sunday, January 26. Then the
Wednesday, May 15 2013 1:18 PM EDT2013-05-15 17:18:45 GMT
An indictment has been thrown out in the case against an NYPD police officer charged last year in the fatal shooting of an unarmed suspect in a Bronx home.
An indictment has been thrown out in the case against NYPD officer Richard Haste, charged last year in the fatal shooting of unarmed suspect Ramarley Graham in a Bronx home. A judge found on Wednesday that prosecutors gave flawed instructions to a grand jury that indicted Haste.
Tuesday, May 14 2013 9:54 PM EDT2013-05-15 01:54:43 GMT
The FDNY must subject itself to court supervision for five years to ensure it does not discriminate against blacks and Hispanics in its hiring practices, a federal appeals court said.
The FDNY must subject itself to court supervision for five years to ensure it does not discriminate against blacks and Hispanics in its hiring practices, a federal appeals court said.
Tuesday, May 14 2013 3:59 PM EDT2013-05-14 19:59:22 GMT
USDA photo
The tree-killing Asian longhorned beetle has been eradicated from Manhattan and Staten Island, but remains a problem in Brooklyn, Queens, and parts of Long Island.
The tree-killing Asian longhorned beetle has been eradicated from Manhattan and Staten Island, but remains a problem in Brooklyn, Queens, and parts of Long Island, according to state agriculture officials.
The man who jumped into the tiger exhibit at the Bronx Zoo and was mauled said he had "a desire to be one with the tiger."
