Federal officials are offering a $20,000 reward in their search for a man caught on camera decapitating a California sea lion at a Pacific Grove Beach in Monterey County.
Investigators released a photo of the suspect on Tuesday, Sept. 30. The grisly incident took place about 8:40 p.m. on July 27 at Point Pinos Beach, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The man "was observed using a hunting knife to remove the head of a deceased sea lion," NOAA law enforcement officials said in an written statement .
Suspect captured on video
The incident was partially captured on video, officials said.
After cutting off the marine mammal's head, the man placed it in a plastic bag and drove off in a late-model, white Cadillac Escalade.
According to NOAA, the sea lion