VENTURA COUNTY, On May 3, 2022, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that Donny Askar, 45, of Oxnard, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of an alligator.

On March 2, 2021, Oxnard Police Department officers and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers searched Askar’s Channel Islands Harbor home and discovered the alligator.

California law classifies alligators as a restricted species. Persons wishing to possess a restricted species of animal must obtain a permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Askar did not possess a restricted species permit for the alligator. Askar kept the alligator in an unsafe and unsanitary enclosure that potentially allowed for its escape.

Additionally, Askar pled guilty to unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Ventura County Superior Court Judge Derek Malan sentenced Askar to 60 days in the Ventura County Jail and placed him on probation for one year. Askar was ordered to pay restitution to the California Fish and Game Preservation Fund.

“CDFW wardens are well prepared to encounter all kinds of wildlife situations in the course of their duties,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “I’m thankful they were able to assist local officers with their investigation and safely remove the alligator from the situation it was in and transport it to a secure and healthier location.”