Washington Man Arrested After Video Shows Him Throwing Rock Near Hawaiian Monk Seal

Federal agents arrested Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk near Seattle on May 13, 2026, after video footage captured him throwing a rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal named Lani off a beach in Lahaina, Hawaii. U.S. attorney’s office in Honolulu said.

U.S. District Court in Seattle on May 14, 2026. As of that date the court docket did not list an attorney for him. A state Department of Land and Natural Resources officer investigated a report of Hawaiian monk seal harassment in Lahaina last week relative to May 14, 2026.

A witness showed the officer cellphone video of the incident. In the video, recorded by Kaylee Schnitzer, the man is seen holding a large rock with one hand, aiming, and throwing it directly at the monk seal swimming in shallow water. A witness described the rock as the size of a coconut.

It narrowly missed the seal’s head but caused the animal to abruptly alter its behavior. When confronted by a witness, the man said he did not care and was ‘rich’ enough to pay any fines, prosecutors stated in a criminal complaint. Hawaiian monk seals are a critically endangered species, with only 1,600 remaining in the wild.

Lani had returned to the waters off Lahaina after the community was largely destroyed by a deadly wildfire in 2023. Her presence brought a sense of healing and hope during a difficult time, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said.

U.S. Attorney in Honolulu to advocate for prosecution. He said the charges send a clear message that cruelty toward protected wildlife won’t be tolerated. “Lani is a reminder that humanity and the instinct to protect what is vulnerable are still values people can unite around,” Bissen stated in an emailed message.

If convicted, Lytvynchuk faces up to one year in prison for each charge. He also faces a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and a fine of up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. A person who answered the phone at a number associated with Lytvynchuk declined to comment.

@NBCNews reported the details of the arrest, charges and video evidence.