DES MOINES – Authorities located and arrested a man in Oklahoma after he allegedly burglarized Iowa’s Great Ape Initiative.
On Aug. 27, the Great Ape Initiative was broken into. Several expensive tools were taken, and a considerable amount of property damage occurred. Fortunately, none of the apes were injured, police said.
Police in Des Moines followed up leads and examined evidence since this incident and soon issued warrants for the arrest of the person believed to be responsible. “The case unfolded pretty quickly, with the attempted pawn of items stolen, forensic evidence connecting a suspect to the scene, and a search warrant that resulted in the recovery of many of the stolen items,” police said.
Suspect Chad Cooney, age 43, has been arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma on charges of third-degree burglary and first-degree theft.
The Ape Initiative is the only research facility in the world dedicated to the study and conservation of the species most closely related to humans – the endangered bonobo.
