Mom Blames Adderall for Son's Tiger-Den Leap

Fernanda Villalobos says her son's Adderall addiction caused him to jump into the tiger's den at the Bronx Zoo in September. Although he was injured, she says the jump may have saved his life—by bringing his addiction to light. David Villalobos, 24, reportedly took the 17-foot leap to become “one with the tiger.” He was mauled by the animal, before zookeepers managed to fend it off with a fire extinguisher. “We don't fully understand why he jumped into the tiger den and I don’t think David understands either, but there is an explanation, and I want this to be said in the courtroom: David said the voices told him to jump in,” Villalobos Sr. told lawyers. “He also told me that he had been planning this for about a year, coincidentally when he first started taking the Adderall.” David Villalobos survived with a broken shoulder, ankle, rib and pelvis and a collapsed lung—many of which were from the fall, rather than the tiger. He had been prescribed Adderall by a doctor for ADHD, despite his family's claims that he didn't suffer from the disorder. Fernanda Villalobos says the incident made it clear how much the drug was impacting his mental state. “He was always interested in animals, and we brought him up as a Christian," she said, "but Adderall changed his way of thinking.”