Suspect in nude swim incident at Ripley’s Aquarium arrested: OPP

A suspect who allegedly assaulted a man at Medieval Times and later stripped naked and went for a swim with sharks at Ripley’s Aquarium Friday night has been arrested.

Police said Tuesday evening that the suspect was arrested at around 4:40 p.m. after Ontario Provincial Police in Thunder Bay, Ont. recognized and stopped his vehicle.

Officials at Ripley’s said the man purchased a ticket to enter the aquarium at around 10 p.m. and immediately stripped naked and hopped over a security barrier to access the shark tank, where he was fully visible to dozens of shocked patrons watching from above the water and from a glass observation area on the level below.

After splashing around for a while, security eventually convinced the man to leave and he took off before police could arrive.

The strange set of alleged events, however, began several hours before the aquarium incident.

Police said that earlier that night, a patron at a Medieval Times show at Exhibition Place became unruly and was escorted from the venue by security.

Then at around 8 p.m., police were called to the area after a 34-year-old man having a cigarette outside the building sustained head injuries in an apparently random attack.

Toronto police said Monday that they believe the same suspect was responsible for the assault at Medieval Times and the nude swim at the aquarium.

Toronto police confirmed later Monday that David Weaver of Nelson, B.C., was being sought in connection with the bizarre string of incidents at the two Toronto tourist attractions.

Toronto police said they are working with the OPP to return the suspect to Toronto.

Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook said Weaver will face two charges once he returns to Toronto – assault causing bodily harm and mischief interfering with property.

“They are both criminal offences so it will be determined by the judge what the consequence will be for both,” she said.

It’s not yet known what may have motivated the unusual behavior.

“There are a lot of questions surrounding this whole situation that are unanswered at this point but hopefully now that he is in custody we will be able to provide some answers,” Douglas-Cook said.