Two 19-year-olds arrested last month on a public road within Oprah Winfrey’s Hawaii ranch are suspected of illegal night hunting, state officials said.
Luke Allen and Ty Muno were arrested just before midnight on June 21 after officers caught them using a hunting spotlight on a public road that runs through the talk show host’s property in Kula, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources announced.
The Upcountry Maui residents were not actively hunting at the time, but officers from DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement found a loaded shotgun, a loaded rifle and ammunition in the pair’s truck.
Officers determined that Allen and Muno were allegedly hunting on Winfrey’s private land at night without permission.
The rifle Allen had in his possession was unregistered, officials said.
The two men were taken to the Maui Police station in Wailuku for booking. The case has been referred to the Maui County Prosecutors Office for review.
Invasive axis deer run rampant on Maui and other islands of Hawaii.
“Last month, DLNR reached out to Upcountry ranchers regarding their efforts to prevent illegal poaching throughout the area and we agreed to cooperate. The arrests did not happen on the property,” Winfrey’s production company, Harpo, told The Associated Press in an emailed statement.
With Post wires
