LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A man faces four counts of animal cruelty after Las Vegas police say he broke into a Flamingo habitat and injured a few birds.
FOX5 obtained an arrest report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for Mitchell Fairbarn. Police responded around 6 a.m. at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino Tuesday. Hotel security told police he had been detained after breaking into the habitat.
Animal Cruelty also responded. According to the report, surveillance footage of Fairbarn showed him grabbing one flamingo by the legs and pulling it to the ground. The bird tried to escape, but Fairbarn dragged it down a second time.
Police said that first flamingo was able to escape. Fairbarn was seen on footage continuing to chase birds and cornering them. He grabbed another flamingo and was seen holding it, wrapped in a shirt. Police said he took it up to the 14th floor of the hotel.
Police obtained a search warrant for Fairbarn’s room and were able to obtain any bedding, blood samples, feathers, and his cellphone. The report showed some videos timestamped.
According to the report, Mitchell could be heard in the videos laughing and saying, “I’m taking it home.” The flamingo could be heard screaming and crying, police said.
Police interviewed Fairbarn. He told officers he was drunk. He said he saw a flamingo in distress and “popped” its wing back into place. He said he used to be a farm boy and thought he’d do a good deed. The report says he has no experience that would give him the right to fix an animal.
Animal Protection Services says a flamingo’s wing was clipped.
Because of the footage, and Fairbarn admitting to the abuse, police have charged him with four counts of animal cruelty.
FOX5 reached out to Caesars for a statement.
We are aware of the deeply distressing incident involving a guest who was arrested for breaking into our Wildlife Habitat and assaulting our flamingos. The safety and well-being of our iconic flock are of the utmost importance to us, and we will be pursuing charges against this individual to the fullest extent possible.
Our beloved birds, including Peachy, who was cruelly taken from the habitat, are currently in the care of dedicated veterinarians and our extraordinary Flamingo animal care team. We remain hopeful they will make a full recovery.
We are grateful to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and to our security and animal care teams for their swift response. We appreciate the outpouring of concern from our guests and the community, and we remain focused on supporting the continued recovery of these remarkable birds.
Fairbarn has an initial appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court Monday morning.
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