A 25-year-old man from Middle River has been charged with animal cruelty for the illegal possession and mistreatment of infant monkeys.
The investigation into Jayden Quanez Evans began in June when Baltimore County Police noticed social media posts featuring Evans and others with a spider monkey and a lemur.
Evans operated an online business named Tarzan Exoticz, which offered personalized photo sessions with exotic animals. Alongside Baltimore photographer Vernon Edward Crowfey III, Evans traveled to North Carolina, claiming they had rented the primates from a Florida dealer, falsely asserting they had a license for "scientific, educational, or commercial purposes."
During the investigation, authorities discovered that any licenses Evans and Crowfey held were fraudulent. On June 30, police were alerted to an unauthorized photo shoot taking place in the parking garage of Towson Town Center, where Evans and Crowfey reportedly ignited a ring of fire, causing damage to the mall property.
Following this incident, an undercover detective contacted Evans via social media to arrange another photo shoot. Although Evans acknowledged the illegality of possessing the animals in Maryland, he agreed to the shoot for a fee of $500.
On the day of the scheduled shoot, police arrested Evans as he left his Middle River home. During the arrest, officers discovered the lemur in a grocery bag and the spider monkey in a mesh carrier; both animals appeared to be severely malnourished. Additionally, several reptiles, including a bearded dragon, were found in poor health at Evans' residence.
Crowfey arrived at the scene and was also taken into custody for his involvement in the unauthorized photo shoot at Towson Town Center.
Evans has been released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court on August 14. Crowfey has been released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.
Reported by HarborBeat based on WMAR-2 News (source).
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