Two men arrested after triggering burglary alarm at Potawatomi Zoo Tuesday

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Two men are in custody Tuesday morning after they were found with bolt cutters outside the Potawatomi Zoo in the early morning hours of May 6. 

South Bend police were dispatched to the zoo (500 block of S. Greenlawn Avenue) around 2:10 a.m. on Tuesday to investigate an alarm and the report of two males walking back and forth between the zoo’s fence and a vehicle.

"Upon arrival, officers located two males, 38-year-old Brian Gregorich and 43-year-old Joshua Vance, standing near a vehicle in the parking lot. The men stated they had stopped at the park to let Gregorich’s dog out," SBPD said.

"Meanwhile, additional responding officers located what appeared to be a fresh cut to a portion of the zoo’s fence. Through an investigation, officers recovered several tools both inside and outside the vehicle, including a pair of bolt cutters."

Authorities say Gregorich ultimately admitted to cutting the fence because he "wanted to walk around inside the zoo," but claims he never entered the property.

Vance denied cutting the fence.

The two were arrested and transported to the St. Joseph County Jail on "preliminary charges related to the incident," SBPD said.

Both suspects await a formal charging decision from the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office.