Man Faces Trial in Death of Girlfriend’s Pet Monkey : Courts: Prosecutor says the defendant was apparently jealous of the attention that the Van Nuys woman gave to the 7-month-old animal.

A Reseda man so jealous of his girlfriend’s affections that he allegedly killed her beloved pet monkey goes on trial Thursday on charges punishable by nine years in prison.

James Mardis, 22, was charged with breaking into Victoria Walker’s Van Nuys apartment on March 4, 1992, and killing her 7-month-old Capuchin monkey named Amanda.

“He was apparently jealous of the monkey and the attention it was getting,” said the prosecutor, Deputy Dist. Atty. Kathleen M. Cady.

Amanda was like a child to Walker, who paid several thousand dollars for the monkey, raised her since the pet was four days old, and even kept her in diapers, Cady said.

At an earlier hearing, Walker testified that she found Amanda with “her tiny arms wrapped around her favorite teddy bear, her eyes were shut tight as if she had been squinting.”

Walker, 27, had been dating Mardis for about two months, Cady said. She had been caring for Amanda for about seven months.

Capuchin monkeys--widely known as the tiny creatures who accompany organ-grinders--are very affectionate.

“They are very attached to their moms,” Cady said. “If they don’t have a mom, they cling to their human moms.”

Mardis allegedly slipped into Walker’s apartment at 5030 Woodman Ave. while she was at work. Neighbors told police that they heard the monkey screaming, and several people said they saw Mardis leave the residence.

After returning home, Walker thought Amanda was sleeping, but later discovered that the pet was dead when she went to change the diaper.

Walker and a friend buried Amanda the next day. But the body was exhumed after neighbors told Walker what they had seen and heard.

Cady said the animal weighed only 2 pounds, 4 ounces. A necropsy performed by county veterinary officials determined that Amanda died after suffering a skull fracture and injuries to its liver and one lung.

One witness who previously testified in the case said Mardis wore a bandage on his hand the day after Amanda died. While Mardis blamed his injury on a spark plug, the witness said it was clear that he had bite and scratch marks, according to the testimony.

Walker could not be reached for comment.

Mardis, who had pleaded not guilty, is charged with burglary and cruelty to an animal. If convicted, he would face a maximum prison term of nine years in state prison.