Poachers charged with road hunting in rural Paso Robles

May 14, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

As part of a crackdown on poaching, California Fish and Wildlife officers arrested multiple people for shooting at wild animals from vehicles in rural Paso Robles.

Several weeks ago, a wildlife officer on patrol pulled over a Honda Civic moving slowly through a rural area with blood splattered on the trunk, bumper and license plate. Inside the trunk, the officer found a tom turkey and squirrel wounded but still alive.

It is unlawful to pursue or hunt any bird or mammal species in California from motor-driven air, water or land vehicles, unless allowed under extremely limited exceptions, such as those for hunters with disabilities.

Just two weeks later, another wildlife officer on patrol also came across a car rolling slowly through a different stretch of rural Paso Robles. The officer pulled over a Chevy Malibu with a driver and two passengers inside. They had a hen and tom turkey in the trunk and a .22 caliber rifle on the rear floorboard.

The officer then confirm the driver was one of the same poachers previously cited for road hunting.

As a result, the 26-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of unlawful hunting of wildlife and felony animal cruelty. The officer booked the suspect in San Luis Obispo County Jail with his bail set at $20,000.