Two men who used assault rifles and night vision goggles to kill three wild burros in the Mojave Desert near Barstow pleaded guilty on Monday to federal charges related to the crimes, prosecutors said.
John Feikema, 36, of Yorba Linda, and Christopher James Arnet, 32, of Loveland, Colorado, each admitted to one felony count of possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle and one misdemeanor count of maliciously causing the death of a burro on public lands, according to the United States Department of Justice.
The killings took place about 1 a.m. on Nov. 6, 2021, as the men drove through the Mojave Desert just northeast of Barstow, U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Ciaran McEvoy said in a written statement .
“Arnet and Feikema eventually got out of Arnet’s truck and were dressed in tactical gear, including ballistic helmets equipped with night vision goggles,” he said. Each man carried a short-barreled, AR-15-style firearm.
At least 13 rounds were fired at the animals in total, officials said. Feikema fired at least four bullets, while Arnet fired at least five.