Two men have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the shooting of three wild burros in Southern California's Mojave Desert over two years ago. The incident took place on November 6, 2021, in a remote area northeast of Barstow. The men, identified as John Feikema of Yorba Linda, California, and Christopher James Arnet of Loveland, Colorado, were equipped with high-powered rifles and tactical gear, including night vision goggles.
Wild burros, protected under federal law, are iconic symbols of the American Southwest, tracing back to their role as pack animals during California's Gold Rush. The men each pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle and maliciously causing the death of a burro on public lands.
