2 men near Oprah's Hawaii ranch arrested on suspicion of illegal hunting
Two 19-year-old men arrested on a public road in Hawaii that runs through Oprah Winfrey’s property on the island of Maui last month were suspected of illegal hunting, officials said Monday.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) identified the men as Luke Allen and Ty Munoz, both of Upcountry Maui.
Conservation officers stopped Allen and Munoz just before midnight on June 21 after witnessing them allegedly using a spotlight for hunting purposes, according to the state agency. The suspects were found near the intersection of Thompson Road and Kamaʻole Road, in the Kula area of Upcountry Maui, authorities said.
The public road runs through private property owned by the Oprah Winfrey Ranch. Winfrey reportedly owns nearly 1,000 acres on the island.
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"Last month, DLNR reached out to Upcountry ranchers regarding their efforts to prevent illegal poaching throughout the area and we agreed to cooperate," Winfrey’s production company, Harpo, told The Associated Press in an emailed statement on Monday. "The arrests did not happen on the property."
While the men were not caught actively hunting, officers found a loaded shotgun, a loaded rifle and ammunition in their truck, officials said.
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Both men were arrested on suspicion of hunting on private lands without permission, not having a hunting license, hunting with the use of an artificial light and other violations. Allen was also arrested for an unregistered semi-automatic rifle.
Maui County prosecutors will review the case and determine if there will be charges.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.