Newport Teen Admits To Swiping Lemur: Courts

NEWPORT BEACH, CA —A Newport Beach teen, often seen surfing the waves around his home on an air mattress, and other Youtube-worthy moments has also pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges of stealing an endangered species of lemur from the Santa Ana Zoo, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Aquinas Kasbar, 19, was already charged in state court with numerous Newport Beach burglaries. He faces up to a year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine, according to federal prosecutors in Santa Ana.

Attorney Brian Gurwitz, representing Kasbar, admitted his client "quickly regretted his actions," and made the decision that night "to ensure that the lemur was returned safely to the zoo."

Kasbar, whose initial court appearance is scheduled for May 28 at the federal courthouse in Santa Ana

Isaac, a 32-year-old ring-tailed lemur, was unaccounted for several hours the day of the theft on July 27, 2018, according to the Santa Ana Zoo and previous Patch reports.

That night, after the zoo closed, he used bolt cutters to cut a hole in the enclosure for lemurs and capuchin monkeys, according to court documents. Santa Ana zookeepers and animal control officers managed to wrangle several monkeys back into their cages after the break-in, but no one could find Isaac.

Isaac, the oldest living ring-tailed lemur in captivity, is unusual in that his species usually lives to 20 to 25 years old. The ring-tailed lemur is on a list of the 25 most endangered primates, in part because of black market pet trading, according to prosecutors.

After Kasbar took Isaac, reportedly with the initial intent of keeping the lemur as a pet, the defendant put the animal in a plastic drawer that lacked ventilation holes, according to the plea agreement.

The next day, the animal -- still in the drawer -- was abandoned in front of the Marriott hotel in Newport Beach, with two notes that read, "Lemur (with tracker)" and "This belongs to the Santa Ana Zoo it was taken last night please bring it to police," according to court papers.

Kasbar's alleged actions cost the zoo about $8,486, according to federal prosecutors.

Kasbar was charged in December with five burglaries in Newport Beach, but further investigation led the Orange County District Attorney's Office to charge him in April with an additional 24 burglary counts. He is also facing one count of attempted burglary in addition to charges of resisting arrest and possessing burglary tools.

Kasbar's alleged burglary spree began in May of last year and stretched through December, when he was arrested and charged with breaking into high-end homes and stealing jewelry and other valuables, including a series of guitars.

Evidence from a pawn shop helped link Kasbar to the break-ins, prosecutors said. When police tried to arrest him, Kasbar ran away and jumped into the water in the Back Bay area, authorities said.

Read also:

• Looted Lemur And Mysterious Monkey Caper Rocks Santa Ana Zoo
• Newport's Wealthiest Homes Robbed, Unclaimed Property Remains
• An 18-year-old Newport Beach native was arrested on suspicion of stealing money, jewelry, and other items from homes over an extended time.
• Air Mattress Surfer Nails Nightmare-Sized Surf At Newport's Wedge

City News Service, Patch editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.