An 18-year-old has pleaded guilty after repeatedly kicking at a sea lion in Southern California in an incident that was captured in a viral video, officials said.
Tyler Muehl, who was charged with violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act, admitted that he repeatedly kicked at a sea lion sitting on a sea wall in La Jolla Cove near Ellen Browning Scripps Park, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, citing his plea agreement.
The incident occurred in the late evening of July 22.
Muehl, of La Jolla, pleaded guilty to violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act’s prohibition on harassment of wildlife, the U.S. attorney’s office said on Thursday, Aug. 13. He faces a maximum penalty of a year in prison and a $100,000
fine.
Muehl reportedly admitted to kicking at the sea lion four different times, and that he made contact while kicking at the animal, the U.S. attorney’s office said. The 18-year-old approached the sea lion as if preparing to box or fight the animal and referred to himself as UFC fighter Max Holloway, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
A representative for Muehl did not immediately respond to the USA TODAY Network’s request for comment.
Muehl chased the sea lion as it fled, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
“Muehl agreed as part of his plea agreement that a video capturing the event was a fair and accurate recording of what occurred,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Just days after the incident occurred, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria took to social media to say he’d seen a video of a man striking a sea lion at Point La Jolla.
“This disgusting act of animal cruelty is unacceptable,” Gloria said, adding that NOAA is “investigating possible federal law violations.”
“I’ve asked local law enforcement to review the footage as well,” Gloria said. “We must protect our wildlife.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also released a statement on social media soon after the incident, saying it was investigating reports of a video on social media showing an “interaction” between a person and a sea lion allegedly in La Jolla Cove. Anyone who has witnessed a potential Marine Mammal Protection Act violation can help by reporting the incident to the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement at 800-853-1964, the agency said.
“National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement takes all violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act very seriously,” said NOAA-Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement West Coast Division Assistant Director Eric Morgan in a statement. “Intentionally striking or kicking a marine mammal is not only illegal — it is dangerous for the well-being of the animal.”
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 18-year-old pleads guilty after kicking at a sea lion in SoCal
