Christopher Hurtado sentenced to three years after beating sickened and pregnant sea lion
VENTURA, Calif. – Christopher Hurtado of Santa Paula was sentenced to three years in prison after admitting he beat a sickened and pregnant sea lion near the Ventura Pier in March of this year.
On June 16, Hurtado pled guilty to two felony charges of animal cruelty and possession of methamphetamine as well as the aggravating factors that he had a prior strike offense conviction, he was on probation at the time, and that the sea lion was particularly vulnerable.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hurtado was charged under the state's animal cruelty laws because the female sea lion was pregnant and on June 9, the Channel Island Marine & Wildlife Institute informed prosecutors that the sea lion was later euthanized due to domoic acid poisoning.
"Our office takes acts of cruelty to animals very seriously and we are committed to holding those individuals accountable when animals are unnecessarily harmed," explained Ventura County Deputy District Attorney Patrick Benjamin who prosecuted the case.
On March 4, 2025, a woman walking her dog on the beach called 911 after seeing a sea lion stuck on the rocks in front of the Ventura Promenade and dispatchers were able to locate the sea lion using live surveillance cameras near the Ventura Pier detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, while dispatchers were watching the sea lion through the Ventura Pier camera, a man -later identified as Christopher Hurtado of Santa Paula- walked up to sea lion and kicked it in the head.
Hurtado then sat down on nearby rocks before grabbing a four-foot piece of driftwood, raised it over his head, and hit the sea lion twice in the body before arriving officers took him into custody shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
"Ventura County was outraged by the violence this defendant inflicted on a defenseless animal," stated Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko in June of this year regarding the attack. "The nature of this senseless attack shocked our conscience and called for aggressive prosecution."
Officers were dispatched to the scene and detained the 32-year-old after he tried to flee on foot and arresting officers found 0.06 grams of methamphetamine in Hurtado's pocket noted the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Sea lions and other marine mammals are federally protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
If you see someone harming or harassing a marine mammal, report it to the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement Hotline at 1-800-853-1964 and if you encounter a marine mammal in distress at any Central Coast beaches, contact the Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute hotline at 805-567-1505.
"The violent acts committed in this case were not only cruel, but violate the law," said Eric Morgan, acting assistant director of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, West Coast Division. "This kind of offense demands accountability, and we have greatly appreciated working this joint investigation to a successful conclusion with the Ventura Police Department and California State Parks."
