A teenage rich kid may be swapping his ritzy California enclave for a prison after pleading guilty to kicking a terrified sea lion four times.
Tyler Muehl, 18, of La Jolla, took a plea agreement on Thursday as he appeared in federal court for violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits harassing wildlife. He’ll be sentenced in October and is facing up to one year behind bars, as well as a fine of up to $100,000.
‘Intentionally striking or kicking a marine mammal is not only illegal – it is dangerous for the well-being of the animal,’ Eric Morgan, NOAA’s Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement West Coast Division assistant director, said in a statement.
Muehl was seen in a now-viral video repeatedly kicking a sea lion on June 22.
The blonde teen could be seen appearing to take a boxing stance and moving defensively toward the sea lion before kicking out at it as it sat near the water around midnight.
The animal appeared to hop away from the teen as his friends laughed hysterically behind him.
Muehl followed the animal and continued to kick at it.
‘Oh man, he’s going to bite you,’ one friend warned.
Tyler Muehl, 18, of La Jolla, took a plea agreement on Thursday for kicking a sea lion at La Jolla Cove on June 22
He admitted to kicking the animal four times, violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act. He faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000
La Jolla is one of the richest neighborhoods in San Diego County
The teen referred to himself as Max Holloway, a UFC fighter, as he approached the animal.
The sea lion eventually escaped over the wall and back to the beach, the Justice Department said.
As part of his plea agreement, Muehl admitted he repeatedly kicked at the animal that had been peacefully sitting on a sea wall in the La Jolla Cove.
Muehl pleaded guilty to ‘knowingly and unlawfully tak[ing] a marine mammal in waters or on lands under the jurisdiction of the United States in that he did harass and hunt’ a sea lion.
La Jolla is one of the richest neighborhoods in San Diego County, where homes average between $2million and $3million. The average household income is around $210,000.
