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Simi Valley Man Faces Charges For Fatally Shooting Protected Mountain Lion In The Head

VENTURA (CBSLA) — Criminal charges have been filed against a Simi Valley man for allegedly shooting a protected mountain lion in the head.

Alfredo Gonzalez is accused of killing the animal, known as P-38 and vandalizing its collar. It's against the law to kill a mountain lion without a permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The seven-year-old male was first collared in 2015 and mainly roamed in parts of the Santa Susana Mountains.

National Park Service biologists have used GPS-enabled radio collar data to study mountain lions for more than a decade.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife received a report in July from the NPS that the mountain lion may have been killed in Simi Valley after a mortality signal was detected.

Gonzalez lived on the Brandeis-Bardin campus of the American Jewish University in Simi Valley, where the shooting took place.

The University says the shooting "deeply saddened" their entire community and that they've been fully cooperating with the Ventura County District Attorney. They also pledged to work closely with authorities to ensure that "AJU is fully prepared for any foreseeable situations involving wildlife in the future."

Gonzalez faces two misdemeanor charges and will be arraigned on October 9 at the Ventura Superior Court.

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