Photo: Cameron Rutt / Moment / Getty Images
They are cute, they look cuddly, but are they criminals? California's most wanted has a new suspect, and it's a sea otter!
Known to authorities as "841", the sea otter is known to harass surfers and steal their surfboards. Despite knowing who the suspect is, 841 have managed to avoid being captured multiple times. The sea otters gutsy behavior is a cause for concern because of the danger she can cause to herself and others.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife along with the Monterey Bay Aquarium have set traps both above and below the water. However, 841 has managed to escape and avoid traps set to catch the mischievous and cute criminal.
841 looks like the typical sea otter. It eats, swims, and hunts off the cliffs between the lighthouse and Cowell's Beach in Santa Cruz but seems to take an interest in chomping down on colorful, soft surf boards.
According to Mark Woodward, a Santa Cruz social media influencer, in an interview with the LA Times say that he is worried that all of the baiting attempts will make 841 more likely to get in trouble.
"I mean, come on! they give her a board, then tow her around. It's like they're asking her to go after surfboards," Woodward tells LA Times.
On looker, Jessica Beane, tells LA Times, "This is her home. They should leave her alone and let her be."