Two 19-year-olds who were arrested late at night last month near Oprah Winfrey’s ranch in Hawaii are suspected of illegal hunting, authorities said.
The young men were stopped just before midnight on June 21, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said in a news release Monday. They were allegedly spotted using a hunting spotlight on a public road which runs through Winfrey’s property in the Kula area on the island of Maui.
“This happened near the intersection of Thompson Road and Kamaʻole Road,” the release said, adding: “Thompson Road is a public road that runs through private property owned by the Oprah Winfrey Ranch.”
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A spokesperson for Winfrey’s Harpo production company told the Associated Press the “arrests did not happen on the property.” “Last month, DLNR reached out to local ranchers regarding their efforts to prevent illegal poaching throughout the area and we agreed to cooperate,” the spokesperson added.
A search of the suspect’s truck found a loaded shotgun and a loaded rifle, according to the DLNR release.
The two teenage suspects—identified as Luke Allen and Ty Munoz—were arrested on suspicion of hunting on private land without permission, as well as other violations including lacking a hunting license. Allen was also arrested over the allegedly unregistered semi-automatic rifle.
The case has been referred to the Maui County Prosecutors Office for review and charging, the DLNR release said.
