The California Department of Fish and Wildlife posted a story on Facebook about the arrest of a 26-year-old on suspicion of unlawful hunting of wildlife, among other wildlife violations; felony animal cruelty charges.
Officials say the CDFW officer followed a car slowly moving through a rural area outside Paso Robles. The officer noticed blood on the trunk, bumper, and license plate that led them to open the trunk of the Honda Civic, where they found a tom turkey and a squirrel wounded, but still alive, after an afternoon of what authorities suspect to be a case of illegal road hunting.
Two weeks later, another wildlife officer on patrol also came across a car rolling slowly through a different stretch of rural Paso Robles.
The officer made contact with the driver and two passengers inside the Chevy Malibu, who admitted to having a hen and tom turkey in the trunk along with a .22 caliber rifle on the rear floorboard.
While conducting a records check, the wildlife officer involved in the earlier case reached out to confirm the driver was the same individual previously cited for road hunting.
Officials say neither the driver nor passengers were licensed hunters and were cited accordingly.
Both cases are now in the hands of San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office prosecutors.
