[REXANO] City attorney demands preservation of potential evi

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http://www.sfgate.com/flat/archive/2008/01/04/chronicle/archive/2008/01/04/M
NVKU9L9L.html

City attorney demands preservation of potential evidence in tiger attack

Audrey Cooper, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, January 4, 2008

01-04) 16:47 PST San Francisco - --

The San Francisco City Attorney has asked that the two survivors of the
Christmas Day tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo preserve their cell
phone records, cell phone photos and contents of the car they drove to the
zoo on the day of the mauling.

In a letter to attorney Mark Geragos - who is representing brothers Paul
Dhaliwal, 19, and Kulbir Dhaliwal, 23 - City Attorney Dennis Herrera said
the San Jose men have refused police requests to inspect images and other
data stored on their cell phones. That means the phones haven't been
inspected as potential evidence, according to the letter.

Nevertheless, Herrera said the Dhaliwals should not destroy or alter any
potential evidence in the event it is returned by police. He suggests a
simultaneous inspection of the phone and car by representatives of his
office and experts retained by the Dhaliwals.

Herrera added that the contents of the car should also be preserved because
of potential evidence the brothers were drinking before going into the zoo.
Police officials have said an empty vodka bottle was inside the car.

Geragos could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Dhaliwals have largely refused to help investigators with their
examination of what led a 350-pound tiger to escape its enclosure and kill
the brothers' friend, 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. of San Jose. The brothers
were also injured in the attack.

Witnesses have told The Chronicle that some of the victims were taunting big
cats in the outdoor exhibit shortly before the attack. Zoo officials have
also conceded that a wall keeping the tiger in the exhibit was 4 feet
shorter than national standards recommend.

Read the letter at www.sfgate.com/ZBYY.

E-mail Audrey Cooper at acooper@sfchronicle.com.