2 men arrested on suspicion of hunting near Oprah Winfrey’s ranch in Hawaii

Authorities on Maui have arrested two men suspected of illegal night hunting near Oprah Winfrey’s Hawaii estate.

The incident occurred shortly before midnight on June 21, the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) said in a news release on Monday, July 1.

“Last month, the DLNR interviewed local ranchers about their efforts to prevent illegal poaching throughout the region, and we agreed to work together. The arrests did not occur on the property,” a spokesperson for Winfrey’s Harpo tells PEOPLE.

“This occurred near the intersection of Thompson Road and Kamaʻole Road in the Kula area of ​​Upcountry Maui,” the press release said. “Thompson Road is a public road that runs through private property owned by the Oprah Winfrey Ranch.”

The suspects – Luke Allen and Ty Munoz, both 19, of Upcountry Maui – were taken into custody at the Maui Police Department in Wailuku after officers observed them allegedly using a spotlight for hunting purposes.

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A preliminary investigation revealed that a loaded shotgun and a loaded rifle were allegedly found in Allen and Munoz’s truck. Upon further investigation, authorities found that they were allegedly “hunting without valid licenses, had ammunition in the vehicle, and allegedly hunting on private land at night without permission.”

Officials said the rifle in Allen’s possession was not registered. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources did not provide information on what animals were allegedly hunted.

Munoz was arrested and detained on the following charges: storing loaded firearms (except pistols), requiring a hunting license, hunting at night on private property without a permit, and prohibition of artificial light (for hunting using artificial light).

Allen was charged with the same charges, plus the requirement to retain ammunition and to register (for unregistered .22 caliber semi-automatic rifles).

The suspects were booked into the Maui Police Department in Wailuku and the case was forwarded to the Maui County District Attorney’s Office, the press release said.

In August 2023, the 70-year-old former talk show host helped other residents affected by the Hawaii wildfires.

“It’s a little overwhelming, you know,” Winfrey told the BBC while handing out supplies at War Memorial Stadium, one of the evacuation sites on Maui. “But I’m really so glad that so many people are supporting us. People are just bringing what they can and doing what they can.”

A spokesperson for Winfrey later told PEOPLE that the media mogul “went to Walmart and Costco to purchase the items and then returned them.”

“It is a heartbreaking devastation. It will do more when it becomes clear what resources can be most helpful for short-term and long-term reconstruction.”

That same month, she and Dwayne Johnson announced the creation of the People’s Fund of Maui, with an initial donation of $10 million from both of them.