Authorities arrested two 19-year-old men on June 21 after allegedly seeing them using a hunting spotlight on a public road that goes through Oprah Winfrey’s private Maui ranch property.
Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) published a press release about the arrests on July 1. The report noted that the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) is who apprehended the two men, Luke Allen and Ty Munoz.
Authorities took the two men to Maui Police station in Wailuku. Allen was booked for six offenses, while Munoz was booked for four. The accusations for both 19-year-olds included not having hunting licenses, hunting with artificial light, and hunting on private property without permission. Allen’s other three charges related to firearm and ammunition violations.
The arrests reportedly happened just before midnight.
ABC News specified that the two men weren’t actively hunting when authorities found them. The source also noted that invasive axis deer are “rampant” on Maui and other Hawaiian islands.
A statement by Winfrey’s production company, Harpo, noted that, “The arrests did not happen on [Oprah’s] property.”
The men were reportedly released after their arrests and await Maui County prosecutors’ review of the case.
What Is There To Know About Oprah’s Connection To Maui?
Winfrey reportedly owns around 1,000 acres of land on Maui. The billionaire has received backlash from Facebook users about the mens’ arrests in the comments of DLNR’s July 1 post. An impassioned commenter wrote, “Return land to the state. Allow hunting for sustenance… Why allow rich mainland dictators to buy entire islands and then control them? Hawaii is turning into a playground for the rich while the locals suffer and have to work 10 jobs just to put food on the table.”
A portion of another comment said, “Hey Oprah, pay their legal fees. Locals require fishing and hunting to off set expenses and feed their families.”
“How does it feel Oprah, owning stolen lands?” one person asked.
In 2023, the media maven and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson were slammed with online backlash after jointly launching the People’s Fund of Maui. The high-profile names pledged a combined donation of $10 million through the fund to support Maui locals after last summer’s devastating wildfires. However, online users condemned the celebs for asking the public to donate additional funding when Johnson is reportedly worth $800 million and Winfrey is worth $3 billion.
SF Gate reported on July 7 that a 3,547-acre cattle ranch neighboring Winfrey’s Maui property recently hit the market for $75 million. The real estate investment includes 37 home sites, agricultural land, and up to 500 cattle in the listed price.
