La Jolla Teen Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Kicking a Protected Sea Lion
An 18-year-old from La Jolla, San Diego, pleaded guilty on 13 August 2026 to a federal misdemeanor for kicking a protected California sea lion in a viral video, becoming the latest person to face federal prosecution under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) for harassing wildlife on public lands.
Tyler Muehl entered his plea at an arraignment before the US District Court for the Southern District of California. He was charged under Title 16 U.S.C. sections 1372(a)(2)(A) and 1375(b) (US Attorney's Office, SDCA). The case is docketed as 26CR3151-JO-JLB. The charge stated that Muehl did "knowingly and unlawfully take a marine mammal in waters or on lands under the jurisdiction of the United States in that he did harass and hunt" a California sea lion. Under the MMPA, "take" is a broad legal term that covers harassment — defined as any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance that has the potential to injure or disturb a marine mammal in the wild.
The incident occurred on the night of 22 July 2026 at La Jolla Cove near Ellen Browning Scripps Park. According to the Justice Department's press release, Muehl approached the sea lion with his hands raised in a boxing stance, calling himself by the name of former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway. He then kicked the sea lion four times. The first two strikes landed on the animal's face, causing it to rear, flinch, recoil, and attempt to flee. Muehl chased the sea lion and kicked it a third time as it stumbled on the wall, then delivered a fourth kick before the animal escaped over the sea wall to an adjacent beach.
Muehl agreed in court that the widely circulated video of the attack was "a fair and accurate recording of what occurred" (The Guardian). The video had drawn public outrage and likely prompted the federal investigation that followed.
The maximum penalty for the misdemeanor violation is one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Federal court records showed Muehl could remain out of custody pending sentencing, though he was ordered to abstain from alcohol and marijuana. Sentencing is tentatively scheduled before US Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt on the morning of 20 October 2026 at 9:30 am.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Emily Allen and Elizabet Brown of the Southern District of California. The investigating agency was the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), whose fisheries office of law enforcement handled the matter. Eric Morgan of NOAA's office of law enforcement said the agency takes all violations of the MMPA very seriously (The Guardian). US Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California struck a blunt tone after the plea: "Federal crime. Federal consequences."
NOAA guidelines advise people viewing sea lions, seals, and other species covered by the MMPA to stay at least 150 feet (46 meters) away. La Jolla Cove is a well-known site where marine mammals haul out — meaning they come ashore to rest — on rocks and walls in close proximity to the public, creating conditions where human-wildlife interactions are common. The MMPA, enacted in 1972, establishes a federal prohibition on the "take" of marine mammals in US waters and on lands under US jurisdiction, with both civil and criminal penalties available to enforcement agencies.
The broader context here is the tension between public access to charismatic marine wildlife sites and the federal framework designed to protect those animals from human interference. La Jolla Cove's sea walls and adjacent parkland draw residents and tourists into close contact with resting pinnipeds — the scientific group that includes seals and sea lions — and viral videos of human encounters with marine mammals, whether well-intentioned or hostile, have become a recurring trigger for law enforcement action. What sets this case apart is not the legal mechanism, which is well established, but the brazenness captured on video and the speed with which federal prosecutors moved from a social media recording to a formal charge and guilty plea. Prosecutors filed a bill of information — a formal charge brought by prosecutors directly rather than through a grand jury indictment — which signals they had sufficient evidence, including Muehl's own acknowledgment of the video's accuracy, to proceed without seeking an indictment. Whether the October sentencing produces jail time or a fine at or near the statutory maximum will signal how seriously federal courts treat viral, video-documented wildlife harassment under the MMPA.
