Daijiworld Media Network – Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Feb 25: A 25-year-old man from Los Angeles has been sentenced to 45 days in jail and one year of probation after a video surfaced showing him giving a protected juvenile hawk a sip of alcohol in a public park.

Cesar Gustavo Diaz pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty, while a second misdemeanor charge for capturing or possessing a bird or mammal was dismissed, court records show. The sentencing was announced by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which had launched an investigation after concerned members of the public reported the video.

The video showed the juvenile Cooper's hawk sipping from a ready-to-drink cocktail at Amelia Mayberry Park in South Whittier, about 16 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, on June 15. The hawk is protected under federal and California law, making it illegal to harm, capture, or possess.

Investigators conducted five judge-approved searches, with support from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and its Operation Safe Streets unit. Diaz was already in custody on unrelated charges when authorities moved to arrest him and claimed he had released the hawk.

As part of his sentence, Diaz must also complete a 24-session animal cruelty counseling program, is banned from caring for animals for five years, prohibited from possessing firearms for ten years, and fined $220. Diaz reportedly served 44 of his 45 days in custody ahead of sentencing, benefiting from good behavior credit.

Cooper’s hawks are medium-sized raptors that prey on chipmunks, squirrels, and occasionally fish, reaching lengths of up to 15 inches. Federal protections for these birds date back to 1918, with updates in 1998 to strengthen safeguards against capture and harm.