911 calls detail Canadian man and flamingos in Vegas hotel: ‘SERIOUS STUFF’
· Toronto Sun
The alleged actions of a Canadian tourist accused of bird-napping and torturing flamingos at a Las Vegas hotel are detailed in newly obtained 911 calls.
Ontario resident Mitchell Fairbarn, 33, is facing four counts of federal animal cruelty after surveillance footage from The Flamingo hotel showed a man entering the wildlife habitat, stealing a bird, and taking it back to a hotel room.
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Police and animal cruelty investigators were called by hotel security, according to multiple 911 calls obtained by KVVU .
What dispatchers were told
The first call to 911 was sent just before 6 a.m. on March 3 by a hotel security guard who said they had been notified of a man carrying a flamingo down a 14th-floor hallway.
Security said the video showed a man inside the bird enclosure for about eight minutes.
“We went out to the habitat, and we were missing one, and two were seriously injured, in fact, one may not make it,” the guard said. “Surveillance caught him jumping the fence.”
A security supervisor made a second call to Metro Police while waiting for a response.
“He stole one of the flamingo birds,” they said. “It’s kind of serious stuff.”
What Fairbarn said to police
Fairbarn allegedly told police that he entered the bird habitat because he saw a flamingo in distress, and told cops he “popped” the bird’s wing into place.
However, he also told officers that he had seen posted signs reading “No Trespassing,” “No Feeding or Touching the Flamingos,” and “No Getting in the Water,” but allegedly admitted he was drunk at the time.
Police found a “large bloody feather” inside the hotel room and “several photos and videos” of Fairbarn with the animal on his phone allegedly showing him choking the flamingo and throwing it on the floor.
In one clip, Fairbarn laughs and declares he is “taking (the bird) home.”
The aftermath for him and the birds
During a probable cause hearing on March 4, Fairbarn was ordered to surrender his passport, wear an ankle monitor, and stay away from the Las Vegas Strip, with bail being set at US$12,000.
He was also ordered to have no animals in his possession.
Fairbarn posted bond following the hearing and his following court appearance was set for March 9.
He wasn’t present but his lawyer moved the process forward by acknowledging the charges on Fairbarn’s behalf, KOLD reported. Fairbarn is due back in court May 6.
The injuries to Peachy and the other birds has led to four charges of willful/malicious torture, maiming or killing of a “federally protected migratory species.”
“Our beloved birds, including Peachy, are currently in the care of dedicated veterinarians and our extraordinary Flamingo animal care team,” the Flamingo hotel said in a statement to the outlet.
“We remain hopeful they will make a full recovery.”