Illegal Lobster Haul Lands Man in Jail

Ten lobsters caught last week near the Santa Monica Pier, when not in season, were confiscated and returned back to the ocean and one man was arrested, the Santa Monica Police Department reported.

The lobsters were stuffed inside duffle bags belonging to the man, who was arrested on suspicion of violating the state Department of Fish and Game code, according to police Sgt. Richard Lewis.

Lewis said five of the lobsters were under-sized.

Lobster fishing season in California runs from early October to mid-March. A closed season and size restrictions have been in place since the early 1990s to protect a dwindling population.

Officers arrested Cory Joseph Nakano, 34, on suspicion of illegal possession of a lobster. He and Valerie Marie Godin, 21, were also booked on suspicion of illegal camping, Lewis said.