A mauled man pleads not guilty to trespassing at a New York City zoo and jumping into a tiger den, but you won't believe why he did it. David Villalobos told investigators that his "desire to be one with the tiger" caused his leap of faith into the tiger's den.
As a result, he suffered an impressive list of injuries when a 400-pound Siberian tiger at the Bronx Zoo's Wild Asia exhibit attempted to grant his wish. "He suffered bites on his arms, legs, shoulders and back and had a broken right shoulder, right rib, right ankle and pelvis and a collapsed lung," according to a Jan. 11, 2013 report by Yahoo! News. "I was testing my natural fear. You would not understand," he said. His father has another explanation for his son's actions. According to the New York Daily Mail, the man's father blamed the prescription drug Adderall and a recent breakup for the incident.
Villalobos appeared in court on Fri., Jan. 11, 2013 where the 25-year-old mauled man pleaded not guilty to the charges of trespassing stemming from his leap from a monorail at the Bronx Zoo into the tiger den on Sept. 21, 2012. Employees at the zoo rescued Villalobos by fending off the animal, whose name is Bachuta, with a fire extinguisher. By that time, the former real estate agent was badly injured and lucky to be alive.
The mauled man who pleaded not guilty in Bronx Criminal Court today will be back in court on March 21 for his next appearance.
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