Jonathan Garcia Named CDFW 2020 Wildlife Officer of the Year

LOS ANGELES— On April 14, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Division announced Warden Jonathan Garcia had been selected as 2020 Wildlife Officer of the Year. “I was surprised, it’s a very special acknowledgment and I guess hard work does pay off sometimes,” said Garcia. The Los Angeles County-based wildlife officer has been with the department since 2018. The CDFW said he has led many notable investigations that resulted in successful prosecution of poachers over the past few years. “Warden Garcia’s immense case load involved a wide variety of violations including illegal take of deer, take of lobster out of season, feeding bears, unlawful importation of restricted species, license fraud, take of mountain lions, take of bear out of season, use of throw nets and gill nets, and many others,” said David Bess, CDFW deputy director and chief of the law enforcement division, in a released statement. “For a wildlife officer who has only been with CDFW since 2018, that’s extraordinary performance. He’s an invaluable asset to us here at CDFW and the citizens of Los Angeles.” The CDFW said the writing and serving of a recent search warrant for a man suspected of illegally trapping wildlife helped Warden Garcia earn...