José Navarrete, 25, managed to reach the elephant enclosure with his daughter after going through several barriers, the statement said.
As soon as the father and daughter were inside the enclosure, an elephant noticed the couple and started trotting towards them, according to the release. When Navarrete tried to leave the room with his two-year-old daughter, he left her, but managed to catch her.
“There were no injuries to Navarrete, his daughter or the elephant,” the statement said.
Navarrete was fined at the San Diego County prison, according to police. He is accused of cruelty to children and is currently on $ 100,000 bond.
CNN was unable to determine whether he has legal representation at the moment and was unable to contact him for comment.
The police said the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact the San Diego Police Department.