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Devils Hole Vandals Caught


Around 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, three likely drunk, and indisputably stupid, men in an OHV drove off the road and around a gate at the Devils Hole parking lot. Devils Hole is a special detached unit of Death Valley National Park located inside the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in the Amargosa Valley, Nevada.

The three men shot a gun at least 10 times, blasting locks on two gates, a motion sensor for the security system at Devils Hole, and several signs. They damaged scientific monitoring equipment, and one man swam in Devils Hole, leaving his boxer shorts behind in the water. Alcohol was, of course, involved, with three beer cans left behind and evidence that one man vomited.

Though the men attempted to dismantle the security system, shooting the motion sensor and removing cables from two cameras, portions of the security system continued to function during their time at Devils Hole. Watch clips from the system here:

Devils Hole is the only natural habitat of the critically endangered Devils Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis). The National Park Service works in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nevada Department of Wildlife to protect the endangered Devils Hole pupfish and its habitat. There were only 115 observable pupfish in Devils Hole counted during April's spring survey.

Park employees found one dead critically endangered Devils Hole pupfish floating in the water after this incident. The specimen was collected on May 2, 2016. Evaluation of the state of decay indicates the pupfish died approximately 24-48 hours earlier, a window of time that includes the men's entry to Devils Hole. The cause of death is not known.

One of the vandals waded and swam in Devils Hole, causing potentially significant disruption to their habitat, according to the National Park Service. The shallow underwater shelf is vital to the Devils Hole pupfish's survival, providing algae and invertebrates for food and a spawning surface. Video footage (see clips above) recorded this man walking on the shallow shelf, potentially stressing and crushing pupfish, which are slow-moving, docile, and as they have no natural predators, curious by nature.

April through May is the peak spawning season for this annual fish, and so the intruder likely crushed and destroyed eggs on the shelf. Many peer-reviewed reports, published scientific studies, as well as a Supreme Court case (Cappaert v. United States 1976) have identified the integrity of the shallow shelf ecosystem as critical to the survival of the Devils Hole pupfish. Any impact to the habitat of this critically endangered species is of concern, according to the NPS.

The National Park Service's Investigative Services Branch, Death Valley National Park, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Nye County Sheriff's Office investigated damage to government property and this unauthorized entry of Devils Hole on April 30. The National Park Service offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to arrest and conviction in this case.

The three men were identified and charged, facing fines of up to $50,000, as well as a year in jail for their apparent drunken Devils Hole spree. Killing an endangered species, such as the Devils Hole pupfish, is a felony.

“We’re looking forward to seeing these three men brought to justice,” said Ileene Anderson, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, which offered a $10,000 reward in the case. “Not only did they act stupid but they destroyed some of the last remaining habitat for one of the rarest fish in the United States.”

The Nye County Sheriff’s Office identified the men as Trenton Sargent, 26, of Indian Springs, Nevada.; Steven Schwinkendorf, 29, of Pahrump, Nevada.; and Edgar Reyes, 35, of North Las Vegas. They were identified through DNA left at the alleged crime scene, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“Places like Death Valley National Park and other public lands are treasures that are owned by the American people. Crimes like these are crimes against all of us who own and love these spectacular places,” Anderson said.

According to the Pahrump Valley Times, at least one of the men is a convicted felon and according to the Nye County Sheriff's Office, he is expected to be charged as an ex-felon in possession of a firearm, with the charges expected to be made at the federal level.

The Sun Runner urges the maximum penalties allowed by law to be employed against these irresponsible vandals.

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