Man pleads no contest to choking pelican at Malibu

LOS ANGELES

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office says 30-year-old Sergio Diaz was sentenced Friday to 60 days in jail and a year's probation.

Alvarez was arrested Aug. 22 when a witness reported the choking to a sheriff's deputy.

According to prosecutors, Alvarez said he failed to catch any fish so he caught the bird to eat.

California Brown pelicans are no longer endangered but are still a fully protected species in the state.

The state Department of Fish and Game noted earlier this summer that many pelicans are showing up on beaches and fishing piers and urged people to avoid feeding them so they don't become habituated to humans.

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