An 18-year-old from one of California's wealthiest enclaves now faces up to a year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine after admitting he kicked a sea lion four times at La Jolla Cove, while pretending to be a UFC fighter.
Tyler Muehl of La Jolla entered a guilty plea in federal court Thursday for violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the federal law that makes it illegal to harass, hunt, or harm marine mammals in U.S. waters or on U.S. land. Muehl admitted he approached a sea lion that had been sitting peacefully on a sea wall near midnight on June 22, took a boxing stance, and kicked the animal four times.
As he walked toward the sea lion, Muehl referred to himself as Max Holloway, a well-known UFC fighter. His friends stood nearby laughing. One warned him: "Oh man, he's going to bite you." Muehl kicked anyway, and kept kicking after the animal tried to move away.
The sea lion eventually escaped over the wall and back to the beach, the Justice Department said. Whether the animal was injured has not been disclosed.
The incident might have stayed a late-night story among friends if not for the SD Seal Society, a local wildlife advocacy group. The group posted video of the attack to its Instagram account, where the footage went viral and drew public outrage. The reel shows Muehl approaching the sea lion and delivering the kicks while bystanders watch.
Federal prosecutors took notice. Muehl was charged under the Marine Mammal Protection Act with a misdemeanor count of knowingly and unlawfully taking a marine mammal by harassing and hunting it. The plea agreement he signed Thursday used that exact language, "knowingly and unlawfully tak[ing] a marine mammal in waters or on lands under the jurisdiction of the United States in that he did harass and hunt" a sea lion.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon did not hold back. As the New York Post reported, Gordon issued a blunt summary of the case:
"Federal crime. Federal consequences."
Muehl's sentencing is set for October 20 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt. He faces up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
Eric Morgan, assistant director of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement's West Coast Division, underscored the seriousness of the offense in a public statement:
"Intentionally striking or kicking a marine mammal is not only illegal, it is dangerous for the well-being of the animal."
The Marine Mammal Protection Act has been federal law since 1972. It covers sea lions, seals, whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals. Violations can be charged as misdemeanors, but the penalties, prison time and six-figure fines, are designed to carry real weight. The law exists precisely because wild animals on public shorelines cannot defend themselves against people who decide to treat them as punching bags.
Muehl did not just kick once and walk away. He chased the animal after it initially moved, and two of the four kicks were directed forcefully toward the sea lion's face. That level of persistence is what separates a reckless moment from conduct that federal prosecutors chose to charge.
La Jolla sits along the coast of San Diego County and ranks among the wealthiest communities in California. Average home prices there run between $2 million and $3 million, and the average household income is roughly $210,000. It is the kind of place where teenagers grow up with advantages most Americans never see.
None of that mattered to federal prosecutors. Muehl's zip code did not buy him a pass, and his age did not earn him a diversion program. He was charged as an adult in federal court, pleaded guilty, and now awaits sentencing with prison time on the table.
Whether Judge Burkhardt imposes jail time, a heavy fine, or both remains to be seen. But the plea itself is already a matter of public record. Muehl admitted, in writing and under oath, that he knowingly broke federal law by attacking a protected animal that posed no threat to him or anyone else.
No statement from Muehl's attorney has been made public. No motive for the attack has been offered beyond the apparent desire to show off for friends at midnight.
Federal law does not care whether you thought it was funny. It cares whether you did it, and Muehl just told a judge he did.
