3 Lions May Have Been Sold Before Raid, Seizure of Cubs

SAN CLEMENTE — Authorities said Wednesday that three African lions may have been sold by a pair of local businessmen before seven cubs were seized from a downtown health food store this week.

San Clemente Fire Battalion Chief Robert Meyer, who acts as animal control officer for the city, said new evidence indicates that “upward of 10” lions had been harbored at Woodstock’s Health Emporium before it was raided Monday night.

“This case seems to be getting bigger,” Meyer said Wednesday. “We need anyone out there who has information on any of the lions to come forward.”

Two Balboa residents, Eric Jarvies, 23, and Bruce Miller, 26, were cited for a number of violations Monday night after state and city officials raided the store and seized seven cubs and a capuchin monkey from a room on the second floor. City, state and federal animal control laws prohibit the possession or transportation of the wild cats without permits, authorities said.

Jarvies has vehemently denied to animal-control officials that there are any additional cats.

State Fish and Game Department officials said Wednesday that the seven domesticated cubs probably will be sent to Kansas today, back to the breeding farm where they were obtained.

Because Jarvies and Miller had them illegally, the wildlife officials said, the only other choices were to destroy them or put them up for competitive bid by the state agency. The agency is not allowed to pick a new owner arbitrarily, and permits are required, which could take months. The animals will remain in California only if they are needed for evidence in the case against the two men, Fish and Game officials said.

Jarvies also awaits trial on charges that he opened the health food store on El Camino Real with $50,000 worth of stolen merchandise. Costa Mesa police allege that Jarvies set up a vitamin business named Power Brokers in that city, ordered merchandise from suppliers and then closed the business without paying for the goods.

Investigator Don Holford said Jarvies was arrested April 3 after a raid at the San Clemente store. Armed with a search warrant and invoices listing vitamins that allegedly had been stolen, Costa Mesa and San Clemente police searched the store and booked Jarvies on suspicion of grand theft.

He has been released on bail and is awaiting trial on that charge, Holford said. Authorities were tipped to the existence of the lions by an ad in a local newspaper offering them for sale for a minimum of $5,000 each.

Although all seven of the cubs, who range in age from four to 15 months, had been recently de-clawed, they appeared to be unhurt and domesticated, Kersey said.