Authorities seize serval cat from home of hip-hop producer Mally Mall

Authorities seized a serval cat and a spider monkey Wednesday after serving search warrants at two San Fernando Valley homes as part of an exotic animal trafficking investigation, officials said.

One of the homes belongs to hip-hop producer and “Love and Hip Hop” star Mally Mall, according to law enforcement sources.

Patrick Foy, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, could not immediately confirm that anyone had been arrested or cited in connection with the searches.

Mall’s attorney, Steve Sadow, said that his client wasn’t arrested but confirmed that authorities seized Mall’s serval cat. Mall has papers from Nevada for the exotic feline and should be able to get the animal returned, Sadow said.

Investigators began searching the homes in the 4000 block of Grimes Place in Encino and the 22000 block of Summit Ridge Circle in Chatsworth about 8 a.m., Foy said. Shortly before noon, authorities walked out of the Encino home with the cat. The spider monkey was taken from the Chatsworth home.

Mally Mall, whose real name is Jamal Rashid, owns the Encino home, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Authorities have not confirmed who lives in the Chatsworth home, but the animal rights organization PETA said in a statement Thursday that the search stemmed from its tip to officials about rapper Swae Lee possessing a monkey.

“PETA commends California wildlife officials for acting on our complaint by seizing a monkey from Swae Lee, and we hope this animal will now be sent to an accredited facility, where he or she will never again be used as a rapper’s sidekick or social media fodder,” said PETA official Brittany Peet in the statement.

Mall has worked with artists such as Chris Brown, Justin Bieber and Snoop Dogg. In 2013, Mall reportedly gave Bieber a capuchin monkey for his 19th birthday and his Instagram page includes photographs of wild cats, monkeys and other exotic animals.

The investigation that led to the searches began at least six months ago after a member of the public reporting seeing social media images of the Encino homeowner with an exotic animal, Foy said.

It was one of a wave of tips that came in after Brown was charged in December with two misdemeanor counts of possessing a capuchin monkey without a permit, Foy said.

Foy said Wednesday’s searches were not connected to the Brown case.

Spider monkeys are native to Mexico and Central America and some species are considered vulnerable.

Servals are native to Africa and can grow to about 3 feet long and weigh up to 40 pounds, according to the L.A. Zoo.

The maximum penalty for illegally owning an exotic animal is six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra