MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Who is Victor Hugo Cuevas? Texas murder suspect, 26, who fled with tiger caught, but big cat still on the loose

The suspect was out on bail for a separate murder charge, said police

HOUSTON, TEXAS: Police in Houston have taken into custody a 26-year-old man who was accused of escaping from police with his pet tiger earlier on Monday. Victor Hugo Cuevas, the suspect, was out on bail for a separate murder charge and now faces a charge of evading capture, according to authorities.

According to police, the tiger, which was spotted on Ivy Wall Drive on May 9, is still on the loose. Cuevas' lawyer said after his arrest that Cuevas is not the tiger's owner, according to CBS affiliate KHOU-TV. 

READ MORE

'Foolish' owner mauled by 'pet' lion and tiger while hosting a party in his luxurious home

Mike Tyson forced to sell his pet Bengal tiger after 16 years because she 'ripped somebody's arm off'

Who is Victor Hugo Cuevas?

Victor Hugo Cuevas is from Texas. His parents live in the city of Richmond in Fort Bend County, according to NBC. He was arrested there on May 10 after 8 pm and booked into Fort Bend County Jail after being charged with felony evading arrest. This is not the first time, however, that Cuevas has had a run-in with the law. The Texas native is also facing a murder charge in Fort Bend County, according to affidavits secured by the news outlet, located on the Fort Bend County courts website.

On July 14, 2017, Cuevas was accused of shooting and killing the victim, Osiekhuemen Omobhude in the parking lot of a Sushi Hana restaurant, Heavy reported. As Omobhude got into his car, witnesses said they saw two men firing weapons. Witnesses said they could see the shooters' faces before they fled on motorcycles, according to the affidavit. Cuevas allegedly put on a "facemask with a skull pattern" before fleeing the scene, according to at least one witness.

Cuevas was later recognized from a photo lineup by a witness and charged with assassination. He was out on bail at the time of the tiger attack, according to the Associated Press. The murder case had a court hearing set for July, according to Cuevas’ lawyer, Michael Elliott, who appeared in a KHOU 11 interview. However, due to the new detention, Elliott expressed skepticism that the trial would proceed as planned.

According to the Associated Press, Houston Police Commander Ron Borza said that Cuevas had two monkeys in his Houston residence. When officials searched the building, however, they found no other creatures, according to KTRK-TV.

Cuevas also had several photographs and videos of exotic animals on his Instagram, according to KTRK-TV. Cuevas feeding a baby bear, footage of two monkeys, and pictures of him "cuddling with a little tiger," were unearthed according to the TV station.

In the most recent incident of Cuevas' arrest, Waller County Deputy Wes Manion, who was off-duty at the time, was seen pointing a pistol at the tiger in case it became violent, according to footage shared from the scene. A man, who has been identified as Cuevas, came outside and told Manion not to shoot the tiger. A neighbor told KPRC-TV that Cuevas “leaned down and kissed the tiger, and then took him by his collar” and led him inside. Following this, he loaded the tiger into a Jeep Cherokee and drove away, leading police on a brief chase.

Elliott admitted it was Cuevas in the video footage at a news conference on May 10. Cuevas "caught" the tiger, according to Elliott, and took it back inside the house to safety. However, during a news conference, Elliot claimed there was “no evidence” to prove that it was Cuevas behind the wheel, adding that the man does not own a white SUV.