"In the cellphone video, the man can be seen holding a large rock with one hand, aiming, and throwing it directly at the monk seal, prosecutors said a criminal complaint. The rock, described by a witness as the size of a coconut, narrowly missed the seal's head, but caused the "animal to abruptly alter its behavior," the complaint said."
"When a witness confronted the man, he said "he did not care and was 'rich' enough to pay any fines," the complaint said. The incident drew widespread condemnation in Hawaii after the video was recorded and shared, prompting investigation by state and federal authorities."
"Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, is charged with harassing a protected animal, the U.S. attorney's office in Honolulu said, adding that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration special agents arrested him near Seattle. He was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Thursday."
""Lani is a reminder that humanity and the instinct to protect what is vulnerable are still values people can unite around," Bissen said in an emailed statement. The mayor said he called the U.S. attorney in Honolulu to advocate for prosecution, saying the charges send a clear message that cruelty toward protected wildlife won't be tolerated."
A tourist in Hawaii was arrested by federal agents after a witness recorded him throwing a coconut-sized rock at Lani, a beloved endangered Hawaiian monk seal off a Maui beach. Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, was charged with harassing a protected animal. Prosecutors said the video showed him holding a large rock, aiming, and throwing it directly at the seal, which narrowly missed the seal’s head but caused the animal to abruptly alter its behavior. The complaint said the man told a witness he did not care and was “rich” enough to pay fines. Maui officials said the charges send a message that cruelty toward protected wildlife will not be tolerated.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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