Man arrested after allegedly touching orangutan at Fresno Chaffee Zoo

A 24-year-old man was arrested for allegedly scaling a five-foot barrier at Fresno Chaffee Zoo to reach under an enclosure and touch an orangutan.

The ape scratched Ramiro Hernandez’s arm several times but he was not seriously injured. Fresno police spokesman Lt. Joe Gomez said Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing in an enclosed animal cage and was cited to appear in court.

Gomez said that Hernandez claimed to be from Merced and told the investigating officer that he was dropped off at the zoo by a friend.

This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 7:58 PM with the headline "Man arrested after allegedly touching orangutan at Fresno Chaffee Zoo."