A Hawaii man is facing reckless driving and felony animal cruelty charges after purposely driving a rental Jeep Wrangler into a flock of birds on Long Beach on July 27. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) sent those recommendations to Pacific County prosecutors two weeks ago after completing their investigation.
Investigators reported the death of 25 seagulls. Witness and police images show the bodies lying in the sand along the Jeep’s path. One photograph revealed a bird still lodged in the Jeep’s grille.
The 64-year-old suspect was driving a car that his wife had hired at the time, according to police sources.
My Northwest is also unearthing fresh information about the events preceding and following the incident. An official WDFW police narrative claims that Pacific County Undersheriff Mike Ray recognized Travis at an Ilwaco High School class reunion golf tournament on the day of the incident. The officer who authored the report also claims Ray identified the suspect using witness images.
“Undersheriff Ray stated he encountered Travis at the class reunion golf event on Saturday at approximately 1430 hours and believed Travis was intoxicated at that time,” according to the officer’s account.
Investigators said they arrived at the scene of the dead birds around 8 p.m. that day. According to the officer’s report, a witness indicated that the suspect “may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
Witnesses were stunned when events unfolded on Klipsan Beach that day. One witness told authorities he saw a man driving a four-door Jeep at excessive speeds, plowing over birds. Another reported that they positioned their own car to force the Jeep driver to halt. When Travis came to a stop, witnesses say he rolled down his window and repeatedly whispered “I’m sorry” before speeding away.
Police tracked down the Jeep using witness images of its California license plates at Portland International Airport’s Budget Rental Car office. A Port of Portland officer met the jeep when it returned to the rental office and photographed the front of the vehicle for damage, according to police reports. One of the photographs shows feathers remaining in the grille.
The police claimed they also contacted Travis’ wife’s phone and left a message requesting that the suspect call them. An officer stated that after receiving no response, she texted the same number but received no response again. According to a police report, the officer texted again four hours later, adding, “Avoiding it won’t make it go away.”
Another hour later, investigators said Travis’ wife texted back, “Thank you! I’ve provided Jim with the information. He will contact you soon. Aloha.” However, investigators stated that Travis had not contacted them at the time of filing their report.
Investigators also discovered a Facebook page belonging to Travis’ wife, and photographs on her page matched witnesses’ photos of the suspect. The profile stated that Travis and his wife have been married for 15 years.
MyNorthwest also discovered that Travis and his wife own a home near Honolulu’s Waialae Iki neighborhood. A general contracting, remodeling, and construction company links the same house to its operations.
