A pet tiger freely roaming around an open street frightened the residents of 1103 Ivy Wall Drive about 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 9. The scene was caught on camera, showing a Bengal tiger on gunpoint by an off-duty Sherriff's deputy who happens to live in the neighborhood. According to a resident, the armed guy was trying to control the situation while repeatedly yelling at the owner to get the animal back inside.
The deputy who was then known as Wes Manion, a Waller County sheriff's deputy, said that the tiger did not seem aggressive and shooting it was the last thing he wanted.
Residents say the tiger wore a collar and looked domesticated. Houston Police said in a twitter post that an investigation is already ongoing and finding both owner and tiger is the main concern.
BATON ROUGE, LA - OCTOBER 06: LSU mascot Mike VI, a Bengal/Siberian mixed tiger, is displayed on the field before the Florida Gators take on the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on October 6, 2007 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Texas Manhunt
When Houston PD officers arrived at the scene, the owner who was described as a Hispanic male, about 28 years of age, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and about 130 pounds grabbed and put the animal in a white Jeep Cherokee and fled in a high rate of speed. Houston PD officers chased the vehicle but eventually lost track of him. Houston Police spokesperson later confirmed the owner has been identified.
Victor Hugo Cuevas, 26, was arrested Monday night and charged with felony evading arrest. He is currently under the custody of the Fort Bend County Jail.
Cuevas at the time was bailed out of jail for a murder charge back in 2017 when he shot a man outside a restaurant in Fort Bend County. However, his attorney, Michael W Elliott, said it was an act of self-defense.
In the recent negligence, Elliot admits it was Cuevas being on the scene but one cannot fully believe he was the owner of the tiger. He even stated that Cuevas might be the 'hero' who handled the situation. He explained in an interview how quick the HPD rushed to judgment, when all Cuevas did was catch the tiger and brought it to safety. Elliot said the missing tiger's name was India and is nine-months old. In addition, the suspect's attorney stated that Cuevas has an information on the animal's owner and its whereabouts and will speak with investigators for the details. In the recent update, the tiger's whereabouts have not yet been disclosed.
Commander Ronald Borza of Houston police said that Cuevas will be charged for evading arrest and his bond on the murder charge will be revoked.
Also read: Disney's Sumatran Tiger Relocated to San Antonio Zoo To Ensure Species' Survival
Texas Pet Ownership Law
Texas is known to have some of the most lenient exotic pet ownership laws in the country. Apparently, there is no law forbidding private ownership of tigers in Texas and people can own exotic pets such as big cats as long as the owner has a license and liability insurance.
However, keeping exotic pets in the city limits like Houston is illegal. The danger they can cause to properties or humans should be held liable to the owner.
Also read: Animals' Ultimate Sensory Tool: How Do Whiskers Really Work?