Two 19-year-old men were arrested last month on a public road in Hawaii that runs through Oprah Winfrey’s property on the island of Maui on suspicion of illegal hunting, as confirmed by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).
The individuals, identified as Luke Allen and Ty Munoz from Upcountry Maui, were stopped by conservation officers just before midnight on June 21. The officers observed the men allegedly using a spotlight for hunting purposes near the intersection of Thompson Road and Kama?ole Road in the Kula area of Upcountry Maui.
It is worth noting that the public road where the arrests took place traverses private property owned by Oprah Winfrey, who holds nearly 1,000 acres on the island. Winfrey's production company, Harpo, stated that DLNR had contacted Upcountry ranchers to collaborate on preventing illegal poaching in the area, emphasizing that the arrests did not occur on Winfrey's property.
Although the men were not caught in the act of hunting, authorities discovered a loaded shotgun, a loaded rifle, and ammunition in their vehicle. Consequently, both individuals were arrested on suspicion of hunting on private lands without permission, lacking a hunting license, using artificial light for hunting, and other related violations. Additionally, Allen faced an additional charge for possessing an unregistered semi-automatic rifle.
The case will now be reviewed by Maui County prosecutors to determine whether charges will be filed against the two individuals.
