LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two men were sentenced on April 3 for illegally spotlighting deer in Lake County last year.
Salvador Buenrosto Cacho from Sunnyvale and Francisco Mendoza Robledo of Yakima, Wash., entered pleas in the case last week, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
Hinchcliff reported that last Sept. 1, local California Fish and Wildlife wardens Mike Pascoe and Patrick Freeling were involved in a nighttime investigation and surveillance operation in an effort to catch poachers during the early A Zone deer hunting season in Lake County.
Assisting the wardens was a Department of Fish and Wildlife aircraft looking for illegal spotlighting activity, Hinchcliff said.
It is illegal to use any artificial light while in possession of a firearm to look for game animals, or to kill a game animal after hours of darkness. Hinchcliff said “spotlighting” is a common illegal method used by poachers to kill wildlife illegally.
At approximately 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 the operators of the aircraft contacted the wardens on the ground and advised they had spotted a vehicle spotlighting in the Pine Mountain area of the Mendocino National Forest, north of Upper Lake. Hinchcliff said the aircraft operator provided the coordinates to the wardens on the ground and advised lights could be seen shining from both sides of the vehicle from the side windows.
The wardens on the ground responded and detained the suspect vehicle and its two occupants, Cacho and Robledo. Inside the vehicle wardens located two hunting rifles, including a loaded rifle, and two flashlights, one of which was found stuffed in between the seats that was still on, Hinchcliff said.
The suspects initially claimed they were doing nothing wrong, and had just been taking a bath in the Eel River. Hinchcliff said the men also advised the wardens they did not believe them when told aircraft had spotted them spotlighting.
On Oct. 1, Hinchcliff, who also files and supervises the prosecution of fish and wildlife crimes, filed charges against the suspects for spotlighting, possession of a loaded rifle in a vehicle, hunting at night and fraudulently obtaining a California hunting license.
The case was set for trial on April 3. On the morning of trial, as prosecutor Danny Flesch was getting ready to select a jury, the suspects changed their pleas, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchliff said Robledo pleaded to possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle and Cacho pled to spotlighting and hunting at night.
They were each ordered by Judge Michael Lunas to pay $1,155 in fines, sentenced to three years probation including no hunting for three years, and ordered to forfeit a Savage 7 millimeter rifle and Ruger 77MKII rifle for destruction, according to Hinchcliff.
Hinchcliff praised the local Fish and Wildlife wardens for another successful case in which wardens worked diligently to protect local wildlife from poachers.