Man Charged in Shooting of Protected Hawk

Criminal charges were filed Monday against a Sun Valley man accused of shooting to death a Cooper’s hawk, which is under jurisdiction of state law because of its status as a protected species.

Akop Manukyan, 23, is scheduled to be arraigned March 24 in Van Nuys Municipal Court on one count each of illegally taking a bird of prey, illegally discharging a weapon in the city limits and possession of marijuana.

Manukyan was arrested about noon on Feb. 4 by Los Angeles police officers who responded to a call from a neighbor of the defendant, said Deputy City Atty. Don Cocek.

The caller reported hearing a gunshot and then a thump on the tin roof of a structure attached to his residence. The man said he went outside and saw a dead bird on the roof, Cocek said.

The officers went to Manukyan’s residence and took him into custody after finding a loaded .22-caliber rifle in the house and a small amount of marijuana in the defendant’s pocket, the prosecutor said.