The Canadian tourist accused of taking a flamingo to his hotel room and torturing it at the Flamingo resort remained in jail as of Friday afternoon despite posting bail, records showed.
Mitchell Fairbarn, 33, of Ontario, faces four counts of torturing, maiming or killing an animal kept for companionship or pleasure. Court records indicate his $12,000 cash bond was posted Wednesday.
The Metropolitan Police Department, which operates the Clark County Detention Center, said in a statement that Fairbarn was awaiting approval for the electronic monitoring program. The process of verifying information required for the program can take several days, but once that process is completed, he is expected to be released, a spokesperson said.
Fairbarn’s attorney, Josh Tomsheck, did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Police said in an arrest report that around 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, Fairbarn illegally entered the Strip resort’s flamingo habitat and attacked two flamingos.
Caesars Entertainment Corp., which owns the Flamingo, said in a Wednesday statement that the company hoped its birds would make a full recovery.
“Our beloved birds, including Peachy, who was cruelly taken from the habitat, are currently in the care of dedicated veterinarians and our extraordinary Flamingo animal care team,” the statement said.
The company declined to provide additional comment Friday when asked for an update on the condition of the birds.
Fairbarn’s cellphone contained photos and videos of him torturing a flamingo in his hotel room by choking it and throwing it to the floor while laughing, according to Metro. In one video, he choked a flamingo’s neck as the bird screamed and cried, records indicated.
“Fairbarn is seen laughing in the video and says ‘I’m taking it home’ as he walks back to his room,” police said in the report.
He also clipped the wing of a bird he was chasing and trying to pin down in the habitat, causing the bird to suffer pain and require stitches, according to the report.
Police said he told them that he was drunk and could not remember chasing birds.
A copy of his police report provided by Las Vegas Justice Court obscured the faces of the men depicted in evidence photos.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum ordered at a Wednesday hearing that Fairbarn’s bail would remain at $12,000, the booking amount for his charges.
She told Fairbarn that he would be subject to high-level electronic monitoring and be required to surrender his passport, stay away from the Strip and not possess animals.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on Monday.
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com.
