Two individuals have admitted to federal criminal charges for fatally shooting three wild donkeys with AR-style rifles in the Mojave Desert of Southern California, as announced by prosecutors on Monday.
The guilty parties, known as Christopher James Arnet, 32, from Colorado, and Cameron John Feikema, 36, from California, confessed in their plea agreements that they ventured out to the desert in Arnet's truck in November 2021. The location they visited was public land in San Bernardino County, as indicated in a press release from the U.S. District Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Upon exiting the truck, the men were attired in tactical gear, including helmets equipped with night-vision goggles, and armed with short-barreled AR-style firearms.
At approximately 1 a.m. local time, the duo opened fire on wild donkeys, also known as burros, resulting in the death of three of these creatures. One donkey was left paralyzed and endured "severe pain before succumbing," according to prosecutors. Both individuals discharged multiple rounds, with Arnet being responsible for the shot that left one of the donkeys paralyzed, as per an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Land Management.
After a thorough investigation, authorities confiscated firearms from the residences of the individuals involved. It was discovered that the weapons were unregistered, a violation of federal law that mandates all firearms to be registered.
Arnet and Feikema were subsequently charged with a felony for possessing an unregistered firearm, along with a misdemeanor for the malicious death of a burro on public lands. Both individuals entered a guilty plea and agreed to surrender their rifles, night vision goggles, and other equipment, including more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition.
The sentencing for the offenders is scheduled for July 8. They could each face a maximum of 10 years in prison for the firearm offense and up to one year for the burro-related charge.
Under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, burros are protected by federal law. Any actions such as capturing, branding, harassing, or killing these animals can result in fines and imprisonment.
