Early Sunday morning, four suspects are alleged to have taken a sea lion pup at Dockweiler State Beach.

 

A witness at the scene told police that two men and two women, who were aged between 20 and 25 were seen harassing the sea lion pubs around 3 a.m. at the beach.

 

They were seen throwing cinder blocks and trash at the animals, police reported that none of the animals was hit.

 

But one of the female went to the car and grabbed a blanket from the car and then handed it to a male. The man then grabbed one of the sea lion pups and covered it in the blanket and then took the pub and placed it in the truck of the car.

 

Police said, the male suspect was trying to capture the second sea lion pub, but it put up a fight with the male and got away.

 

The four of them then entered into the car and left with the sea lion pub.

The witness then called the police, who arrived at the scene by 3:15 a.m.

 

Marine Animal Rescue has taken the other pub which was hiding behind the bush; the pub was 10 month old.

The car was a black two-door Honda Civic, it was a California registered vehicle, and the last two digits of the number plate are 5 and 6.

The investigation is handled by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

 

The seal are being stoles more often this year because of the record number of pups turning up sick along the Southern California coastlines said the director of Marine Animal Rescue, Peter Wallerstein.

He added that the two pubs were not abandoned by her mother but they may have been weaned from their mother.

 

It is an offence to get within a certain distance of sea lions, and the suspects could face a fine of $10,000 and a year in jail.

Wallerstein said that instead of approaching the injured or sick sea lion to help them, they can call the recue team.