A California couple, who once made national news for surviving a brutal chimpanzee attack in 2005, faced yet another tragedy years later when a Myanmar businessman reportedly exploited their kindness and drained over $350,000 from their accounts. Most of their possessions were also allegedly stolen by members of a violent motorcycle gang that took control of their property.
Highlights
- St. James and LaDonna Davis survived a brutal chimpanzee attack in 2005, leaving the husband disfigured.
- They received a $4 million settlement but later faced financial exploitation.
- Most of their possessions were allegedly stolen by members of a violent motorcycle gang that took control of their property.
- A Myanmar businessman also reportedly drained over $350,000 from their accounts.
St. James and LaDonna Davis gained fame for raising a chimpanzee named Moe as their son.
He was a beloved part of their lives and filled their home with joy by eating with them at their kitchen table and sleeping in their bed with them.
After surviving a brutal 2005 chimpanzee attack, California couple St. James and LaDonna Davis later fell victim to financial exploitation by a Myanmar businessman
Image credits: John Chapple / Getty Images
The chimpanzee, who was the best man at their wedding, lived with the couple for 30 years before he was forcibly removed and placed in a wildlife sanctuary.
In 2005, St. James and LaDonna visited Moe at the wildlife sanctuary for his 39th birthday; however, they were severely injured in a violent attack by two other chimpanzees who had escaped from their enclosure.
The horrific encounter left St. James disfigured; he lost an eye, eight fingers, parts of his nose, lips, genitals, buttocks, and feet. LaDonna lost a finger in the assault.
The Davises raised a chimpanzee named Moe like a son, even including him as the 'best man' at their wedding
Image credits: Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Despite the horror, the Davises managed to settle a lawsuit related to the attack, receiving a $4 million settlement.
Their lives continued as normal until a new figure entered the picture. In 2017, Min Zaw Maw, a Myanmar businessman with purported financial troubles, befriended the couple and bonded with them over their shared love of cars, according to NBC News.
Claiming to be a struggling entrepreneur, Min was welcomed into their lives, even staying in their home when St. James was hospitalized following a stroke.
Min began calling LaDonna “mommy” while she called him her “son,” LaDonna’s caretaker said in a deposition.
In 2005, while visiting Moe, the couple was attacked by two escaped chimpanzees, leaving St. James severely disfigured and LaDonna injured
The businessman reportedly took advantage of the couple’s trust, writing checks to himself totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars while St. James was hospitalized.
By the time St. James passed away in 2018, the damage was done. The couple’s finances were decimated, and their properties had become havens for squatters.
After her husband died in July 2018 from cardiopulmonary arrest, LaDonna’s health continued to deteriorate, and she was unable to fully grasp the gravity of Min’s actions.
Moreover, Min was named the successor trustee of the Davis family trust and its beneficiary.
Following the chimpanzee attack, the Davises received a $4 million settlement, but they were later allegedly exploited by businessman Min Zaw Maw
Image credits: Pixel-mixer / Pixabay (Representational image)
LaDonna’s signature on a document also gave Min the authority to “conduct any business with any banking or financial institution with respect to any of” LaDonna’s accounts.
Social workers conducted a home visit in 2019 and found LaDonna in a room with spider webs in the air and rabbit feces on the floor, according to a report by Diana Homeier, then-medical director of the Los Angeles County Elder Abuse Forensic Center.
The report said LaDonna was not in a state to remember her age or what year it was.
Gilbert Amis, an officer with the West Covina Police Department’s code enforcement division at the time, reported that a motorcycle gang had taken over the couple's property and stolen their possessions. He claimed the gang had forced Min out of the house at some point.
St. James passed away in 2018, while LaDonna's health deteriorated before social workers found her in a dire condition
Michael McCasland, a long-time friend of the Davises, pursued legal action against Min, accusing him of exploiting LaDonna’s vulnerability and selling off their belongings.
“She just always wanted to help people,” Michael told NBC News. “But everyone seemed to rip her off.”
Michael accused Min of gaining her trust and using his influence to sell off the couple’s valuables.
However, the businessman denied these claims and presented himself as a benefactor, who simply stepped in during the couple's time of need.
Eventually, a settlement was reached in 2022, awarding Min with $175,000 and the vehicles belonging to LaDonna.
Today, 80-year-old LaDonna lives in an elder care facility, while authorities have opted not to pursue elder abuse charges against Min.