A tourist who drew widespread condemnation in Hawaii after a witness recorded him chucking a coconut-sized rock at “Lani,” a beloved, endangered Hawaiian monk seal off a Maui beach, was arrested Wednesday by federal agents.
The court docket didn’t list an attorney, and a person who answered the phone at a number associated with Lytvynchuk declined to comment.
A witness showed the officer video of the seal swimming in shallow water while a man watched from shore.
“In the cellphone video, the man can be seen holding a large rock with one hand, aiming, and throwing it directly at the monk seal,” prosecutors said a criminal complaint.
Richard T. Bissen Jr., Mayor of Maui County, speaking in a video posted to social media about the incident.
Lytvynchuk is charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
He also faces a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and a fine of up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. »