CALIFORNIA – Federal authorities have updated their account this week of a previously reported sea lion decapitation at Point Pinos Beach in Pacific Grove, clarifying that no marine mammal parts were removed from the site.

In their earlier report, NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement said a man was seen using a hunting knife to remove the head of a deceased sea lion, then placing it in a bag and leaving in a white SUV.

The beachgoer who reported the incident initially claimed she witnessed the act.

However, NOAA’s latest update states that the individual has been located and that the investigation determined no parts were actually taken from the beach. 

The agency removed the previously released photo of the suspect.

Man denies allegations

The original report described the incident as occurring on July 27 at around 8:40 p.m. A man was said to have used a knife to decapitate a sea lion carcass, then placed the head in a plastic bag. 

The sea lion was already dead before the alleged act, though the cause of death has not been confirmed.

In the wake of the update, a man named in the photo, Jason Bietz of Hanford, denied the allegations, telling the Los Angeles Times he did not decapitate the sea lion. He also denied accusations that he was carrying a knife on the beach.

Decapitation at Doran Beach

On December 25, 2024, Doran Regional Park staff found a sea lion carcass in Bodega Bay. Later that day, a staff member discovered that someone had decapitated the animal.

Eyewitnesses described a suspect riding a fat-tire e-bike, dressed in all black, using a black 8-inch knife to sever the head and place it in a plastic bag. 

NOAA is offering up to $20,000 for information leading to a criminal or civil prosecution. 

Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, it is illegal to harass, harm, or collect parts from marine mammals (living or dead). 

Violations can lead to civil fines up to $36,498 or, in criminal cases, up to a year in jail and $100,000 in fines.

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