Ventura man arrested for allegedly beating sea lion with a stick
Authorities booked the suspect, Christopher Hurtado, into jail for felony animal cruelty, breaking federal laws protecting marine mammals and a drug possession violation.
"It is a crime under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to intentionally harass or injure sea lions," NOAA Asistant Director Greg Busch said.
The Ventura Police Department said they spotted Hurtado on surveillance cameras attacking a sea lion resting along the Ventura Beach Promenade at roughly 9:20 a.m. on March 4. Officers said he hit the animal multiple times with a large stick.
Hurtado tried to run away when officers arrived at the beach. However, they quickly detained him and found what they believed to be methamphetamine in his belongings, according to the Ventura Police Department.
For the past week, wildlife officials have warned beachgoers about a toxic algae outbreak affecting marine wildlife in the waters off the California coast. More than 50 sea lions became sick after ingesting domoic acid in Malibu. Wildlife officials said that domoic acid is "an algal bloom resulting from a single-celled organism called Pseudo-nitzschia." When toxic, domoic acid can cause brain and heart damage, even in low doses.
Animals and humans can become sick from ingesting domoic acid from contaminated fish or coming in contact with infected wildlife.
"Signs in marine mammals include seizures, a craning head motion known as 'stargazing,' and highly lethargic or comatose states," the California Wildlife Center said in a statement last week. "These animals are suffering and confused; do not interact directly with animals such as sea lions in distress as they may lunge and bite without warning."
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USA Today
12-07-2025
- USA Today
'My dad isn't a criminal': Facing charges, scared detainees choose fast-track deportation
Defendants are agreeing not to challenge their case because of fears of more jail time or being deported to a country that is not their own. TALLAHASSEE, Florida ‒ In a cold courtroom in downtown, Isabela Hurtado sat in a wooden pew. It had been over a month since she last saw her father. On May 29, she watched him get ready for work at a construction site near the capital city's CollegeTown. When she next saw him, on July 2, he was in an orange jumpsuit, shackled by the hands and ankles, waiting to see a federal judge. "All I wanted to do in that moment was cry, but I had to contain myself," Hurtado, 19, said. She looked at her dad, Juan Hurtado Solano, seated next to his public defender. He turned around and smiled. Minutes later, he pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States, a federal crime with a potential punishment of up to two years in prison and $250,000 fine. While entering the country without the proper documentation is a misdemeanor, reentering the United States after already being deported is a federal felony, according to U.S. Code 1326, Reentry of Illegal Aliens. Amid President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, more people are being charged for illegal reentry into the United States. And many of those defendants are pleading guilty and agreeing not to challenge their case or removal because of fears of getting stuck in the immigration system, spending more time in detention or being deported to a country that is not their own. Hurtado's father didn't make the decision lightly. He spoke to his wife and kids. Ultimately, Hurtado said it was the best-case scenario. "If you're just going to get sent back regardless, let's just speed up with the process, because I wouldn't want my dad to sit there any longer anyway," Hurtado said, adding she would prefer to FaceTime him while he's in Mexico rather than the alternative. Rise in illegal reentry prosecutions across U.S. In February, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo to all department employees entitled: "General Policy Regarding Charging, Plea Negotiations, and Sentencing." "The Department of Justice shall use all available criminal statutes to combat the flood of illegal immigration that took place over the last four years, and to continue to support the Department of Homeland Security's immigration and removal initiatives," the memo states. The number of immigration prosecutions in the United States jumped in March of this year. U.S. Attorneys charged 4,550 defendants with immigration offenses in U.S. District Courts in March, up 36.6 percent over February when 3,332 defendants were charged, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), which tracks immigration data. According to TRAC, in the past, illegal reentry was often pled down to illegal entry, which has a mandatory maximum sentence of six months and up to a $250 fine. The plea agreements, also known as "fast-track" programs, were developed to handle the large number of immigration cases in states along the southern border in the 1990s. A former U.S. deputy attorney general once wrote the program was created for defendants who promptly agreed to participate to save the government significant and scarce resources that could be used to prosecute other defendants. "It's common for someone to plead guilty to a crime to try to avoid detention, especially long-term detention, but they often don't realize that doing so has negative long-term consequences that would likely preclude them from getting a benefit for immigration for the future," said immigration expert Elizabeth Ricci. According to the American Immigration Council, there are different reasons why a defendant would choose to plead guilty to the entry-related offense. "These can include a lack of understanding of potential defenses against a charge (and lack of time to discuss such defenses with counsel prior to a group hearing); the prospect of shorter sentences; or misunderstanding the terms or consequences of a plea agreement," according to a council report. Recently, many defendants and their families say they hope pleading guilty will mean their cases progress much faster. Reports of inhumane conditions at Alligator Alcatraz and other detention centers and long wait times to see judges create a distressing situation for immigrants. "(Immigration detention centers) are overcrowded, people are sleeping in the hallway, people are being denied medicine," Ricci said. "I tell clients frequently that they may have to put up for very uncomfortable conditions for days or weeks if it means staying here for long-term, often people are so uncomfortable they aren't willing to stick it out and are wiling to leave and forfeit living in the United States." "It's about making people scared," she added. The threat of a $250,000 fine really worried Hurtado "There's no way I could pay that money, or even try to round up the money," Hurtado said. "We don't have people with that type of money. That's so unreasonable … most immigrant families don't have much money." 'My dad isn't a criminal' The USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida spoke to other family members of those incarcerated and charged with illegal reentry. They say their loved ones are being held in the same area as hardened criminals and drug dealers. "These are mostly decent people whose only crime is entering the United States after being deported, but otherwise, immigration violations are civil, not criminal," Ricci said. The day federal agents raided Hurtado's father's construction site, they also detained her two uncles. In three hours, Hurtado lost three family members. While her father and uncle are at a federal detention center, her other uncle is still in ICE custody in Texas. She doesn't know exactly where. Even if her dad and uncle tell their family members not to worry, her mother and aunt hear the news about Alligator Alcatraz and are stressed. "(My mom) just wants to get this done as soon as possible, because it's scary," Hurtado said. Her 3-year-old brother hasn't been able to fall sleep well since her father was detained. The two used to fall asleep together – her father after a long day of work, her brother after a long day being a toddler. They would go to bed before anyone else in the house. Hurtado's father doesn't have a court date yet. But her uncle was to be sentenced July 10. "My dad isn't a criminal," Hurtado said. "My dad is literally a person who works every day, goes home, takes care of family, and that's that." Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@
Fox News
28-06-2025
- Fox News
Diver who freed sharks gets Trump pardon after felony conviction stuns him: 'My heart sank'
A Florida-based diver thought he was doing the right thing when he freed a group of sharks—but instead, it led to a felony charge and, years later, a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. On May 28, Tanner Mansell and John Moore Jr. were two of the sixteen recipients of Trump's full pardons after the pair were convicted in 2020 of theft of property within special maritime jurisdiction. Mansell, 31, of Jupiter, Fla., reflected on the fateful day leading to his conviction and the eventual unexpected pardon from the White House. In April 2020, Mansell and Moore took a group, which included the Kansas City police chief and a SWAT officer, and encountered a buoy connected to a longline over a dive site. A longline is a type of deep-sea fishing gear with baited hooks to catch fish. "It was just another ordinary day on the water," Mansell said. "I had been running trips there for years and never had anything like this happen. I spotted something red in the distance thinking that, you know, maybe it was trash or a diver," he said. "We saw that it was a buoy connected to a line, which is when we started calling law enforcement." Unaware that the longline belonged to a legally sanctioned National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shark research operation, Mansell and his team acted swiftly and cut the line. They released 19 sharks back into the ocean. "I had no idea that this could be possible, you know, that you could have a permit to kill all these sharks," he said, noting that they had called the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) and NOAA's hotline before making the decision. "In our mind, the entire time, we thought we were uncovering a crime rather than committing a crime," he said. That belief quickly unraveled. Days later, Mansell said he received a call while out to dinner. "I just felt like my world came to a stop, my heart sank," he said. "We called [law enforcement], we did everything that we could." Despite their outreach to law enforcement, both divers were charged and convicted. While they avoided prison time, they were ordered to pay $3,343.72 in restitution, and the felony convictions prevented them from voting, owning firearms and traveling freely. "The judge made a comment, and he commended us for our dedication to [the] environment," he said. "He gave out what my lawyer said was probably the lowest sentence ever." Looking back, Mansell said he would have acted differently if he had known the law surrounding legal shark killings. "Knowing what I know now, I absolutely would do things completely differently," he said. "But if I didn't know that there were permits for this, I don't think that I would change anything… when you think you're doing the right thing, you think you're doing the right thing." "We were really surprised to get the pardon," he added. "It wasn't really discussed by my lawyers because it was so far down the line." A turning point came when the case went to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and Judge Barbara Lagoa confirmed what Mansell believed throughout the legal process. "She basically said … this should've never gone forward … she's never come across a criminal that has called enforcement to report what they're doing in real time," he said. Publicity from that opinion reached the libertarian Cato Institute, which published an article that eventually caught the attention of the White House. "The White House actually called our lawyers and said that they were looking into this and asked for more information," he said. "That was really cool because our lawyer called us that the White House had it in front of them and were looking into it." Mansell learned of his pardon while boarding a plane, sharing he was left "speechless" from the news. "I was getting a call from my lawyer and I answered, and he says, 'Well, I've got good news for you. You just got a full presidential pardon.' I was speechless. I couldn't even say thank you. I just soaked it in." Mansell profusely thanked the White House and Trump for the pardon. "All I can say is thank you. And I hope that, you know, maybe in the name of sharks, we can all take a look at what's happening and say that [legal killings of sharks] shouldn't be happening in Florida." "I'm just so grateful. I have said thank you every step of the way. Words can't explain it," he said. "I know that the White House took a look at this and they decided it was worth it. And I got President Trump's signature." Though the felony remains technically on record, Mansell said the practical implications of the pardon allow him to continue his work. "The felony is fully forgiven so now I can vote, and I can own a firearm from what I understand," he said. "And most importantly, it expedites getting travel visas for my work in conservation." Asked how his view of government and justice had evolved, Mansell admitted, "At first, I was like, I lost a lot of faith in it. I felt like it was just unfair, but now I'm thankful for the due process." "I've learned so much through this process," he said. "I've always considered myself a law-abiding citizen, somebody that doesn't break the law and I respect law enforcement and commercial fisherman." "I got through into this political battle between commercial fisheries and shark diving tourism and it's tough, but now I'm on the other side," he said. "At first I lost a lot of faith in the criminal justice system and now, a bit of that faith in the justice system is restored. There are a lot of checks and balances for a reason." Mansell remains committed to shark conservation and hopeful his case will raise awareness. "This case never should have been filed," Mansell's attorney, Ian Goldstein, said in a statement. "These gentlemen made an honest mistake and were trying to save sharks from what they believed to be an illegal longline fishing setup. I can't think of two individuals more deserving of a Presidential Pardon."
Miami Herald
18-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Beating of sea lion caught on camera, CA officials say. Now, man pleads guilty
A sick sea lion resting on a California beach was kicked in the head and beaten with a large piece of driftwood, prosecutors say. Now, 32-year-old Christopher Hurtado, of Santa Paula, has pleaded guilty 'to two felony counts related to the beating of a sea lion suffering on a Ventura beach from recent algae blooms,' the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said in a June 17 news release. McClatchy News was unable to immediately reach an attorney representing the man on June 18. 'Ventura County was outraged by the violence this defendant inflicted on a defenseless animal,' District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in the release. 'The nature of this senseless attack shocked our conscience and called for aggressive prosecution.' As a woman was walking on the beach with her dog March 4, she spotted 'a sea lion stuck on the rocks in front of the Ventura Promenade' and called 911, prosecutors said. When dispatchers checked live footage from surveillance cameras near the Ventura Pier, they saw the man approach the sea lion and kick it in the head, prosecutors said. Hurtado sat on the rocks for a short time, then grabbed 'a four-foot piece of driftwood,' raised it above his head and hit the sea lion twice, prosecutors said. Officers arrived at the shoreline and detained him as he tried to run away, according to police, McClatchy News previously reported. 'Officers found .06 grams of methamphetamine in Hurtado's pants pocket,' prosecutors said. At the time of the attack, 'the sea lion was alive but suffering from domoic acid poisoning, a naturally occurring toxin in algae that can be harmful to marine mammals,' police said. The Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute responded to keep an eye on the sea lion's condition, according to police. The nonprofit ended up caring for the sea lion at its center but later had to euthanize it due to its domoic acid poisoning, prosecutors said. Just before his trial was set to begin, Hurtado pleaded guilty to 'one count of cruelty to an animal and possession of a hard drug,' prosecutors said. In addition, he admitted to 'special allegations and aggravating factors,' which included having a prior strike and 'that the sea lion was vulnerable,' according to prosecutors. Hurtado, who is being held on $25,000 bail, is scheduled to appear in court July 14 for sentencing and faces three years in prison, prosecutors said. Ventura is about a 70-mile drive northwest from Los Angeles. What to know about domoic acid poisoning The sea lion's death came during an uptick in the number of sea lions suffering from domoic acid poisoning found along the Southern California coast, according to a Feb. 25 Facebook post from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. Domoic acid is produced by the algae Pseudo-nitzschia australis, according to the Marine Mammal Center. 'When conditions are right, waters off the coast of California can experience large-scale toxic algal blooms that are capable of sickening hundreds of sea lions in a matter of weeks, causing them to wash ashore at an alarming rate – sometimes a dozen a day,' according to the Marine Mammal Care Center. Some symptoms of domoic acid poisoning are 'seizures, bobbing head, erratic behavior and lethargy,' the Marine Mammal Center says. With some domoic acid poisoning cases, the Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute said it removes sea lions from the beach. In other cases, however, the organization leaves the sea lion on the beach to 'give the animal space and time to work through the acute phase of the toxin,' the organization said, adding that it continues to monitor the animal. The organization warned those who come into contact with a 'marine mammal in distress' to keep a distance of at least 50 feet.
