Canadian Charged in Flamingo Theft, Abuse at Las Vegas Hotel

A Canadian tourist remained in custody in Las Vegas on Friday after being accused of breaking into a hotel wildlife habitat, stealing a flamingo, and injuring the bird and others in a bizarre early-morning incident.

Mitchell Fairbarn, 33, from Ontario, faces four felony counts of animal abuse stemming from events on March 3 at the Flamingo Las Vegas, a Caesars Entertainment property on the Las Vegas Strip. According to police reports, surveillance footage captured Fairbarn entering the resort's wildlife habitat around 5 a.m., where he grabbed a flamingo named Peachy by the legs, dragged it to the ground, and pinned down a second bird. He then carried the distressed Peachy, wrapped in a shirt, through the hotel elevator to his 14th-floor room.

Officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reviewed videos and photos from Fairbarn's cellphone, which showed him choking the bird's neck, throwing it to the floor, and laughing as it screeched. In one clip, Fairbarn could be heard saying, "I'm taking it home," while walking back to his room. A search of the room uncovered a large bloody feather and other materials. Animal control specialists determined that Fairbarn had...