Just before midnight on June 21, two men were arrested by Maui authorities. Police arrested them under suspicion of illegally night hunting. They were near Oprah Winfrey's Hawaii property.
According to PEOPLE, the arrests took place on Thompson Road. The road is public but runs through Winfrey's private ranch. The proximity of Winfrey's ranch to the scene made for eye-popping headlines.
The two suspects were each 19 years-old. Luke Allen and Ty Munoz were placed in custody after officials observed their alleged use of a spotlight for hunting purposes. To make matters even more complicated, Allen's weapon was unregistered. Likewise, Maui officials released a statement alleging that the pair were "hunting without valid licenses, had ammunition in the vehicle, and were allegedly hunting on private land, at night, without permission."
The Department of Land and Natural Resources did not make clear which animals were being hunted. Regardless, both teens were booked at Maui Police Station in Wailuku.
Munoz was charged and booked for the following: Hunting License Required, Hunting on private lands at night without permission, Artificial Light Prohibited, and Place to keep loaded firearm other than a pistol.
Allen received the same charges. In addition, Allen was also charged and booked for: Place to Keep Ammunition and Registration Mandatory, in regards to his unregistered .22 caliber rifle.
Oprah Back in Hawaii's News Cycle
Winfrey's involvement in Hawaii's news cycle has been consistent for several months now. She initially made waves in August 2023. After wildfires devastated Maui last summer.
The fires, which took dozens of lives, left even more Hawaiians without a place to call home. Winfrey stepped in, with the help of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and many others, to assist in rebuilding the island. Last August, the pair had announced their founding of "The People's Fund of Maui." Each celebrity initially donated 10 million dollars to the fund.
The fires changed the island of Maui forever. Interestingly, they were not the last time Winfrey would make the rounds in the local news cycles within the calendar year. Luckily, this story is just one of young, foolish teens making a mistake and earning their punishment for it, rather than that of a historic, devastating disaster.
