Overview
- Cesar Gustavo Diaz, 25, pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 45 days in county jail with credit for time served, plus 12 months of probation.
- The court also ordered 20 days of community labor, a 24-session animal-cruelty counseling program, a five-year ban on possessing animals, a 10-year firearm prohibition, and $220 in fines and fees.
- The case stemmed from a June 15, 2025 incident at Amelia Mayberry Park in South Whittier in which a juvenile Cooper’s hawk was given what appears to be a BuzzBallz cocktail on video.
- CDFW’s Special Operations Unit investigated after the YouTube clip was reported by the public, executed five search warrants with help from LASD’s Operation Safe Streets, and identified Diaz while he was in custody on unrelated charges.
- Court records show a second misdemeanor count for capturing or possessing wildlife was dismissed, while officials say Diaz claimed he released the hawk and its condition remains unknown under federal and state protections for raptors.