Cesar Gustavo Diaz, Los Angeles, California man sentenced to 45 days jail for force feeding protected baby hawk alcohol in incident caught in viral video.
A Los Angeles man was sentenced to 45 days in jail and a year of probation after video showed him giving a protected juvenile hawk a sip of alcohol at a park.
Cesar Gustavo Diaz, 25, was sentenced Thursday, February 19, after he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty, court records show. A second misdemeanor charge, capturing or possessing a bird or mammal, was dismissed.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced last week’s sentencing on Tuesday, saying its Special Operations Unit investigated Diaz after concerned members of the public pointed out the video following an episode in June of last year.
Los Angeles man preys on protected species in ‘prank’
The video involved a juvenile Cooper’s hawk — protected under federal and California law — that was being given a taste of alcohol at Amelia Mayberry Park in South Whittier, a community about 16 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, on June 15, according to the department and court records.
Images provided by the Department of Fish and Wildlife show Diaz holding the bird in his hands and then taking out a green container with alcohol from which to feed the raptor as it sipped unwittingly its contents.
Not immediately clear is what led to Diaz to giving the protected species alcohol or if he necessarily understood the ramifications of his actions.
As the raptor gulped down the drink in the clip, the words ‘hawk loves him some buz (sic) ball’ appeared on the screen.
In another part of the video, the bird stands next to the green drink and stares into the camera. Meanwhile, words across the screen read, ‘Hanging out with the homie.’
Harming, harassing and abusing protected wildlife
When investigators were ready to arrest Diaz after having served five search warrants, he was found in custody on unrelated charges, the department said, and told investigators he had released the hawk.
According to court records, Diaz served 44 of his 45 days ahead of sentencing, partly with the help of credit for good behavior.
Along with probation, as part of his sentencing, Diaz must also complete 20 days of community labor, attend a 24-session animal cruelty counseling program, banned from possessing animals for five years along with ten-year firearm prohibition and payment of $220 in fines and fees.
Cooper’s hawks are protected under federal law enacted in 1918 and updated in 1998. It prohibits their capture, possession or sale. State law also prohibits harming or harassing such wildlife, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The birds prey on chipmunks, squirrels and sometimes fish, and they can grow to 15 inches in length, according to the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, Minnesota.
