A trespassing call on private land in Hendry County, Florida, turned into an arrest involving two men, a freshly killed hog, and an air rifle after wildlife officers said the suspects ran instead of stopping when law enforcement tried to make contact.
According to the host of WildlifeWarden, the incident happened on October 20, 2024, after a landowner reported two armed trespassers on his property. When a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer arrived, the host said the men were dragging a freshly killed hog and carrying what was described as a powerful air rifle.
The situation might have been handled as a conversation about trespassing, but the host said the men dropped the hog and fled deeper into the property. Officers later located both men and took them into custody.
A Landowner Reports Armed Trespassers
The WildlifeWarden host reported that the case began when a local landowner notified authorities that two people were on his property with a dog and an air rifle. By the time officers made contact, the men were allegedly in possession of a hog and the air rifle, which immediately raised the seriousness of the call.
Bodycam footage showed an officer ordering both men onto the ground after they were found. The officer repeatedly told them to roll onto their stomachs and keep their hands visible while calling out that two Hispanic male subjects were being detained.
“Right now, both of you are under arrest for trespass,” the officer told them in the footage.
One of the men immediately protested, saying they did not know they were trespassing. The officer pushed back, pointing to “the fences, the signs, the gates” as indicators that the property was private.
The men claimed they had entered through another side and said it had been open. Still, the officer made clear that how they entered did not change the legal problem once they were on private property without permission.
“Why’d You Run?”
As officers worked to handcuff the men, one suspect repeatedly said they had not realized they were doing anything wrong. Another asked if they were going to jail and seemed confused that trespassing could lead to arrest.
The officer’s answer was blunt: yes, trespassing was illegal.
When one of the men said they had gotten scared because they saw someone with a gun, the officer asked the central question of the encounter: “Why’d you run?”
That question became the core of the case. The men continued to say they believed they were allowed to be there, yet the officer pointed out that a person who thinks he is lawfully on land usually does not run when someone identifying himself as police tells him to stop.
One of the men insisted he did not hear the officer yell “police, freeze,” and said he only saw someone with a gun. The officer said he understood the wind and noise may have played a role, but he still had to respond to what he saw: two men on private land, one carrying an air rifle, dragging a hog, and then fleeing.
From a practical standpoint, that is the moment the incident became more difficult for everyone. Even if the men truly believed they had wandered into the wrong area by mistake, running from an officer while carrying hunting equipment and a weapon left little room for the officer to treat the scene casually.
The Officer Explains The Charges
After both men were secured, the officer told them he was not going to keep arguing about whether they knew the land was private. He said the proper place to contest those details would be court, not the side of a field after a chase.
The officer explained that he was looking at trespass and resisting without violence because they had run. At one point, he referred to misdemeanor trespass, but the WildlifeWarden host later reported that the final charges included armed trespass, a felony, and resisting arrest without violence.
The air rifle became an important part of the case, even though one of the men insisted it was “not even a gun.” The officer acknowledged that he knew it was an air rifle, but said that did not change how he had to handle the encounter when responding to armed subjects on private property.
“I got to handle it a certain way,” the officer said, explaining that he was alone with two suspects and had to prioritize safety.
That is an important part of the story. People often think of air rifles as less serious than firearms, and in many contexts they are, but for an officer arriving at a trespassing call involving a weapon and a dead animal, the distinction may not be obvious from a distance. The officer still has to assume danger until he can safely confirm what he is dealing with.
“We Were Just Trying To Catch A Little Pig”
During the encounter, the men repeatedly said they were only trying to catch a hog “to have a party” and that they had done it for fun because they worked all the time. One of them said it was their first hog, and they had even taken pictures to post about it.
The officer pressed them on why they chose private land instead of public hunting land. He told them there were tens of thousands of acres of public land available and asked why they did not go to legal areas instead.
The men said they had seen pigs from the road and decided to go around to enter from another side. One of them claimed they did not really know how to hunt and did not understand the property boundaries.
The officer did not dismiss that explanation entirely, but he told them the landowner had constant problems with trespassers killing hogs, deer, and even cows. He said the property was legally posted and fenced, and that people frequently claimed they had not seen signs or thought they had permission.
From the landowner’s perspective, that context matters. One mistaken entry might seem minor to the person who made it, but repeated trespassing can become a serious problem for property owners, especially in rural areas where livestock, hunting, fencing, and liability all come into play.
A Pregnant Girlfriend Arrives With Their IDs
The officer eventually allowed one of the men to call a woman who reportedly had their identification. When she arrived, the officer identified himself as Officer Fidel with Florida Fish and Wildlife and explained that the men were being arrested for trespass and resisting without violence.
The woman told the officer they were new to the area and said they had bought a house nearby only a few months earlier. She said they did not see a “no trespassing” sign and asked why the men were going to jail.
The officer explained that the fence itself marked the boundary and that the property was also posted according to statute. When she asked whether the issue could be handled with a trespass warning instead, he said that option might have been possible earlier, but not after the men ran.
“We’re past that,” the officer said.
The woman, who said she was nine months pregnant and had a six-year-old child at home, appeared upset and frustrated. The officer reassured her that the men were okay and that they would have more information once they reached the jail.
That exchange gave the case a more human dimension, but it did not change the officer’s decision. By then, the flight from law enforcement had become a separate issue from the trespassing itself.
The Property Owner Wanted To Prosecute
Near the end of the footage, the officer spoke with the property owner, identified in the video as Doug Carney. The officer asked whether he wanted to prosecute, and Carney said yes.
The officer noted that he still had to do some homework on the exact trespass charge, but he said the resisting charge would apply regardless. At one point, he said he initially thought the matter might be a felony because he believed the men had a firearm, but then clarified it was an air rifle.
The WildlifeWarden host reported that, in the end, 30-year-old Yasmani and 32-year-old Ivan were charged with armed trespass and resisting arrest without violence. Their weapons and ammunition were seized as evidence.
The case is a reminder that what someone sees as a harmless attempt to catch a hog can look very different to a landowner and to law enforcement. Private property boundaries, posted signs, fences, and permission all matter, especially when weapons and hunting are involved.
The bigger mistake, however, appears to have been running. Had the men stopped when confronted, the officer suggested the conversation may have been different. Once they fled, the situation moved from a possible explanation at the fence line to an arrest in the field.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
