RIVERSIDE, California
An Orange County man and a Colorado man pleaded guilty Monday to federal criminal charges for shooting three wild burros (donkeys) to death in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County in late 2021, officials stated.
Christopher James Arnet, 32, of Loveland, Colorado, and Cameron John Feikema, 36, of Yorba Linda, California, each pleaded guilty to one felony count of possession of an unregistered firearm, namely a short-barreled rifle, and one misdemeanor count of maliciously causing the death of a burro on public lands.
According to the plea agreements, on Nov. 5, 2021, the defendants drove in Arnet’s truck to a public area north of Yermo, in San Bernardino County, wearing tactical outfits with night vision helmets.
They both had AR-style guns. Around 1 a.m. on November 6, they shot at least 13 times, killing three wild burros. Arnet shot at least five times, and Feikema at least four.
One burro was hit in the back, causing severe pain and paralysis before it died, with the bullet linked to Arnet’s gun.
Police later found and took the guns used in the shooting from Arnet and Feikema’s homes. These guns were short-barreled rifles, which were supposed to be registered under federal law but weren’t.
U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal scheduled July 8 sentencing hearings for the defendants. They face up to 10 years in federal prison for the firearm count and up to one year in federal prison for the burro death count.
As part of the plea agreements, the defendants agreed to forfeit or abandon the illegally possessed rifles, over 4,000 rounds of ammunition, night vision goggles, and other tactical gear.
The Bureau of Land Management investigated this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cory L. Burleson of the Riverside Branch Office and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture & Recovery Section are prosecuting these cases.