Catching Live Florida Panther Cubs Lands Man In Jail
Bob McNally 03.20.17
File this under the “stupid criminal” docket.
A South Florida man, Alfredo Lopez De Queralta, was arrested after authorities learned about a YouTube video showing him harassing a pair of endangered Florida panther cubs.
Ken Warren with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s South Florida office, said De Queralta was arrested after authorities served a search warrant at his home. De Queralta and others are suspected of numerous wildlife violations, including interfering with a federally listed endangered species.
The search warrants were served as part of an ongoing investigation into a YouTube video that shows a man invading a Florida panther den and holding two panther cubs. The video has since been removed.
Warren said the acts depicted in the video are violations of Florida law and the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
The suspects could face up to a $100,000 fine and a year in prison if convicted.
Warren said Lopez De Queralta was taken into custody because of items found while the warrant was being served. A search of the Miami-Dade County jail website shows that Lopez De Queralta faces a charge of possession of a controlled substance. He was released on bond.
