The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office just released a letter they faxed this afternoon to Mark Geragos, lawyer for two brothers who were injured in the tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo Christmas Day. The Siberian tiger named “Tatiana” killed their friend, seventeen-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. The letter reveals some new information and raises questions about Geragos’ public statements so far.
Police confiscated Paul and Kulbir Dhaliwal’s cell phones, but the brothers have refused to give investigators permission to look at any images or other information on the phones. Could there be photographs or cell phone videos of what happened or what lead up to the tiger leaping from her grotto? You may think the police could just go through the cell phones because they have them in evidence, but they can’t. They need a search warrant, and can’t get one because there has to be suspicion of a felony having been committed. So, the City Attorney is taking the civil route – asking Geragos and the brothers to preserve evidence because of a possible lawsuit against the Zoo and city.
The other point – Geragos has been saying the Dhaliwals couldn’t get any of the zoo workers to help or to call 911 for half an hour. If the brothers had their own cell phones, why couldn’t they make the call themselves? I called Mark Geragos on his cell phone this evening for answers, but got his voicemail. If he calls back, I’ll update this blog right away.
Please do (update the blog). I have become obsessed w/ this story. So many lies and a dead boy and a dead tiger. Both were beautiful. We deserve answers. We deserve The Truth.
Please put on your thinking cap for just a moment (if you know anything about predators.... )
Yes, the zoo is liable for all shortcomings, even if there was no malice intended. However, whoever triggered the prey drive in this obviously well fed tiger has both the tiger's and this young man's blood on their hands.
Just as this tiger did, Garagos is following a trail of blood. However, Garagos stands to gain a lot more than did Tatiana. Please help us get to the Truth and NOT just the Story that will SELL.
Investigative Reporters -- we need you NOW.
Posted by: becky | January 04, 2008 at 08:22 PM
If the brothers aren't allowing the police to look at the content on their cell phones that tells me that they have something to hide. If there isn't anything on the phones that involves the tiger, why wouldn't you let the police look? I have always been suspicious of the role of the brothers and their friend in this story. First, they weren't talking to the police, and now they aren't allowing the police to look at the content on their cell phones...this tells me that they have something to hide. Even though the wall to the tiger enclosure was below the recommended height, I don't think the tiger would have just jumped out of the enclosure for the fun of it. I believe that the brothers and their friend taunted the tiger. I feel sorry for the tiger. Look at it this way: if you were in a cage/enclosure and someone was taunting you, wouldn't you want to get out of the cage/enclosure to try and stop the taunting? Even if the police keep playing down the fact that it is not known that the tiger was taunted, I will still believe that is was taunted...unless they find evidence that will leave no doubt that the tiger wasn't taunted, but I highly doubt that will happen. Every animal expert that I have heard on the news in the last week or so are saying that the tiger had to have been taunted. I just think the brothers should tell the truth and let everyone know what happened on that Christmas Day in the zoo.
My condolences to the family of the boy that died.
Posted by: Claire | January 05, 2008 at 02:39 PM
It seems obvious that the two brothers were the cause of the Sousa boy's demise and that of the tiger. My understanding is that they were "under the influence" of booze and pot upon arriving at the hospital. They also vowed to stay mute while riding in the ambulance on the way to the emergency room. These views, plus the facts say to me they are guilty of at the least, stupidity, and perhaps reckless disregard for they're supposed friend young Mr. Sousa. Their lawyer can posture all he wants, it's obvious they are responsible for their condition and the loss of both the tiger and young man.
Posted by: mw danska | January 05, 2008 at 03:40 PM
"There is something rotten in Denmark". It would seem to me that Mark Garagos, who is a criminal attorney taking a potential civil case, says to me that the two adult males are concerned that they COULD be facing possible prosecution from illegally trespassing onto the tiger's premises. The cell phone has pictures. Detailed ones. I'd bet on it.
Posted by: Laura | January 06, 2008 at 03:43 AM
Why are there so many people ready to blame the victims? Teenagers taunting animals at a zoo goes with the territory, so to speak, and there is more than ample evidence that the tiger grotto wasn't safe since there had already been plenty of breakouts before, though nobody (besides an employee last year) was eaten. As far as I'm concerned, the zoo director belongs in jail and so does the entire nonprofit board supposedly running the zoo. And if not jail, they should at least be held personally liable.
Posted by: sfmike | January 09, 2008 at 07:20 PM
Yes, such a tragedy that lives were lost...a human's life and also the life of a beautiful, majestic tiger. Yes, the zoo is absolutely liable for the safety of its patrons no matter what kind of derelicts they might be, however, when it all comes down to brass tacks, this would've never happened if three wise-ass punks weren't taunting the tiger. She was obviously harassed for a very long time and finally said "I'm putting an end to this" and leaped out of her grotto. And with that all three victims soiled their pants and tried to run. Fortunately she gave all of them what for until her own life was unfortunately sacrificed. We humans are supposed to protect animals from low-life people who have nothing better to do on Christmas Day. Where the hell were the park workers to have completely missed this too? Yes, the zoo is liable ultimately but in a really unfortunate way. Forget making people responsible for their own actions. Use your heads, people!! Then for the family to hire a slimeball like Mark Geragos who can't represent any kind of God-fearing human being...it's always some kind of asshead causing pain and grief to some innocent creature. A lesson to the stupid: DON'T TAUNT ANIMALS WHO CAN RIP TO YOU SHREDS!
Posted by: Andrew in San Jose | February 05, 2008 at 05:02 PM
They are not children....They are adults and need to accept responsibility for their actions. Parents need to be responsible for raising their children to be civilized human beings. These so called adults are drunken drug addicts. Why is it that everyone else needs to be responsible for morons?
Posted by: Mia | February 08, 2008 at 07:00 PM
Right on, Mia! Until our society stops enabling these irresponsible jerks, we're going to continuously have these problems. Now these two surviving brothers will essentially be rewarded for breaking the law and set up for a good long time financially. We can only hope and pray they have consciences and every day they think of their departed friend who lost his life for doing the WRONG THING along with them. Doing the wrong thing seems to be rewarded more and more these days. Let's hope even one of them decides to go to college with all that money and takes up zoology and becomes an advocate for the rights of animals. Rest in peace, beautiful Tatiana!
Posted by: Andrew in San Jose | February 11, 2008 at 05:37 PM
No no man, it's too sad, why would tigers attack cell phones?
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