California man gets jail in death of protected mountain lion

VENTURA, Calif. – A man who acknowledged shooting and killing a protected mountain lion that roamed the mountains near Los Angeles has been sentenced to 30 days in jail.

The Ventura County district attorney’s office said Thursday that Alfredo Gonzalez must also perform community service and pay restitution.

The 60-year-old pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of the protected cougar, known as P-38, and vandalizing its tracking collar.

P-38 was born in 2012 and was known to roam the Santa Susana Mountains.

P-38 is believed to have fathered four litters of cubs. He was part of a mountain lion population that National Park Service researchers are studying using GPS tracking collars.

Prosecutors said Gonzalez shot the animal in the head in Simi Valley, possibly on July 2.