A U.K. man who critically injured a three-year-old boy by tossing him into a crocodile pit has been released on bail after authorities deemed him unfit for a police interview.
Cambridgeshire Police on Friday released the suspect, identified by authorities only as a 30-year-old man, on bail in connection with an incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a family-run farm and zoo near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, England. The man had been arrested the previous day on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly throwing a three-year-old into a crocodile enclosure at the zoo.
Police stated that the suspect was assessed as unfit for interview and released on bail until September 18.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of Thursday June 19, when Cambridgeshire Police were called to the zoo in response to a three-year-old boy who had ended up in the crocodile enclosure located in the facility’s Tropical House. The enclosure is housed in a converted cattle barn and features elevated metal-fenced walkways overlooking pools of water surrounded by tropical vegetation, according to a report from the BBC.
The crocodiles are positioned approximately 15 feet below the viewing platforms, with safety measures including fencing around 4 feet high and Perspex glass in place.
Tracey Johnson, wife of zoo owner Andy Johnson, leapt into the enclosure to rescue the child before the crocodiles could get to him. The child received treatment at the location before being transported by road to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
The child remains in critical but stable condition at the hospital as of this report.
The suspect, a 30-year-old man from Norfolk, was arrested shortly after the incident on suspicion of attempted murder. Police have stated that the man and the child were not known to each other.
Police indicated that the suspect has learning disabilities and was visiting the zoo on a day trip accompanied by his caretaker. No charges have been formally detailed in official police statements beyond the initial arrest on suspicion, and the man was released on bail pending further investigation by the force’s Major Crime Unit.
The zoo’s Tropical House, which houses multiple species of crocodiles and other reptiles, has been closed until further notice out of respect for the family. The remainder of the site remains open as normal.
