People on walks in a Houston neighborhood Sunday evening were startled to see a Bengal tiger sphinxing on a front lawn (photo). It wasn’t a lawn ornament. Or a stuffed tiger. Or someone’s idea of a prank.
A local TV station reported, “A [sheriff’s] deputy who lives in the neighborhood cleared the street and tried to contain the cat. The tiger then approached the deputy in an ‘aggressive kind of manner,’ the neighbor said. The deputy … held the tiger at gunpoint until a man ran out of the home, yelling ‘Don’t shoot, don’t shoot!’ I’ll get him,’ the man can be heard saying as he grabs the tiger and straddles it [and] leads the tiger inside.” Then, “minutes later, [he] loaded it into a truck, and left before police arrived.” On Monday, the reason he fled became apparent: He’s accused of murder and is out of jail on bail.
Now, the police want help with finding him. “”Obviously, if you see a (Jeep) Cherokee with a big tiger in it, it would be good to call us,” a police spokesman said.
I sure will. Read story here and here.
Update: The fugitive has been caught, but the tiger is still at large, whereabouts unknown. (Story here)