Missing Houston Tiger Located, Surrendered To Authorities: Police

HOUSTON, TX — The bizarre weeklong tale of a missing Bengal tiger in Houston came to an end Saturday when his owners turned the exotic animal over to police, according to authorities.

Houston police released a video late Saturday night of India the tiger, who was being petted and bottle-fed by owner Giorgiana Cuevas. In the tweet, Houston police Cmdr. Ron Borza said he was "relieved" that Indiana was safe.

The mystery of India's whereabouts captured the city's attention for more than a week. Last Sunday, residents on Ivy Wall Drive shared photos and videos with KHOU of the large orange and black striped feline walking in a front yard. The footage shows India walking slowly before stretching and lying down.

Another video, according to KHOU, shows a man later identified as an off-duty sheriff's deputy holding a gun aimed at the tiger.

The cat's owner, Victor Cuevas, 26, eventually loaded India in his SUV and sped away from police who were investigating the unusual sighting, according to reports.

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The story took another unexpected turn Monday when Cuevas was arrested Monday and charged with felony evading arrest after police said he fled from them that morning.

Cuevas, accused in a 2017 killing, had violated the conditions of his bail multiple times, according to court records. He now also faces a charge of evading arrest, and prosecutors asked a Fort Bend County judge Friday to revoke his bail. A new $300,000 bond was set.

Meanwhile, India the tiger remained missing.

Borza told reporters Friday that police had received hundreds of calls about the whereabouts of India. At the time, Borza believed the tiger had been passed around a dozen or more times by people involved in the illegal exotic animals trade.

"We've gone to a few locations here in Houston, and we have not had any luck finding the tiger yet," he said.

In a news conference held Saturday night, Borza said staff at BARC, the city's animal shelter, received a call from a friend of Victor and Giorgiana Cuevas. The person told authorities the couple wanted to surrender the massive cat.

BARC then turned the animal over to police.

During the news conference, Borza said that India appeared to be in good health. By Sunday, the tiger was on his way to an animal sanctuary.

"Hopefully there he will live the rest of his life in a safe environment," Borza said.

Borza said the young tiger was already "extremely powerful. If he wanted to overcome you, he could do it instantly."

"In no way, shape or form should you have an animal like that in your household," Borza said. "Full-grown that animal can get to 600 pounds. It still had its claws and it could do a lot of damage if he decided to. Luckily for us he is very tame."

Patch national writers Beth Dalbey and Tim Moran contributed to this report