SAN DIEGO – Jose Navarrete, 25, was arrested on Friday after trespassing into the elephant exhibit at the San Diego Zoo with his 2-year old daughter. Navarrete was trying to take a picture with his daughter inside the exhibit when an elephant came rushing at them.
According to a CNN news article, “When Navarrete tried to exit the enclosure with his 2-year-old, he dropped her but was able to pick her up. ‘There were no injuries to Navarrete, his daughter, or the elephant,’ the release said.”
Navarrete is currently in San Diego County Jail and is charged with child cruelty. He is being held on $100,000 bail for investigation of child endangerment and was set to be arraigned March 30.
Occurrences like this one at the San Diego Zoo have happened at the other zoos in the past. Back in March of 2019, a woman at an Arizona zoo jumped the barriers of a jaguar exhibit and was viciously attacked by a jaguar. Emergency workers reported that the woman, who was in her 30s, had lacerations on her arm after the jaguar attacked her.
Back in 2016, Harambe, a 17-year old 450-pound western lowland gorilla grabbed a toddler who fell into a gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo. Harambe was shot and killed by the Dangerous Animal Response Team, who tried everything to lure Harambe away from the toddler but had to resort to shooting him.
The investigation into Navarrete’s child cruelty and endangerment arrest is still ongoing, and any witnesses are asked to contact the San Diego Police Department.
If you were a witness to this event, contact this website.