Alfredo Gonzalez (DOB: 01/12/59), of Simi Valley, pled guilty to the unlawful killing of a protected mammal, a mountain lion known as P-38, and to vandalism of its GPS collar. After his guilty plea, Gonzalez was immediately sentenced by Judge David Hirsch to 30 days in the Ventura County Jail, 30 days in a work release program, and 240 hours of community service at an animal shelter. He was also placed on three years of summary probation and ordered to pay restitution. Additionally, the rifle Gonzalez used to shoot the mountain lion was declared a nuisance by the court and ordered to be destroyed.
National Park Services (NPS) biologists studying the mountain lion population have collected GPS-enabled radio collar data to study mountain lions for more than a decade. P‑38 was a male mountain lion born in 2012. First collared in 2015, this animal predominantly roamed portions of the Santa Susana Mountains. On July 10, 2018, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife received a report from the NPS that P‑38 may have been killed in Simi Valley. NPS biologists recovered the collar of P‑38 after a mortality signal was detected on July 2, 2019. It was later determined the mountain lion died of a gunshot wound to the head.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is the public prosecutor for the county’s 850,000 residents. The office employs approximately 280 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims.
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