News Release
VENTURA, California – District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Donny Askar (DOB 12/26/76), of Oxnard, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of an alligator. On March 2, 2021, Oxnard Police Department officers and the Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel searched Askar’s Channel Islands Harbor home and discovered the alligator. Previous news reports incorrectly identified the alligator as a crocodile.
California law classifies alligators as a restricted species. Persons wishing to possess a restricted species of animal must obtain a permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Askar did not possess a restricted species permit for the alligator. Askar kept the alligator in an unsafe and unsanitary enclosure that potentially allowed for its escape.
Additionally, Askar pled guilty to unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Ventura County Superior Court Judge Derek Malan sentenced Askar to 60 days in the Ventura County Jail and placed him on probation for one year. Askar was ordered to pay restitution to the California Fish and Game Preservation Fund.
TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT CITIZENS JOURNAL Help keep us publishing –PLEASE DONATE
