Three men arrested in death of rare fish at Death Valley National Park

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK >> Three men could face fines of up to $50,000 and a year in jail for an alleged drunken spree that resulted in the death of one of the world’s rarest fish at Devils Hole pool in a Nevada portion of the national park.

The Nye County Sheriff’s Office identified the men as Trenton Sargent, 26, of Indian Springs, Nev.; Steven Schwinkendorf, 29, of Pahrump, Nev.; and Edgar Reyes, 35, of North Las Vegas.

Based on the investigation at the crime scene and interviews with the suspects, officers determined that the suspects had been drinking and shooting rabbits when they came to the Devils Hole, according to a news release on the Facebook page of the Nye County Sheriff’s Office.

The men are suspected of jumping a fence clearly marked protective area, the report said, where they shot electric cameras, and at least one went skiy dipping in the pool at Devils Hole, which is really a cave in the middle of the Mojave Desert. They also reportedly rammed a gate with their off-road vehicle and shot at the gate and a sign with a shotgun, the report said.

The suspect or suspects in the water stomped around the shelf area of the critical ecosystem before swimming around the deeper water, leaving behind a pair of dirty underwear when finished, the report said.

The intrusion was believed to have resulted in the death of at least one of the endangered iridescent blue Devils Hole pupfish, which are about an inch-and-a-half long.

The iridescent fish swim only in the 93-degree waters of Devils Hole.

“We’re looking forward to seeing these three men brought to justice,” Ileene Anderson, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.

“Not only did they act stupid, but they destroyed some of the last remaining habitat for one of the rarest fish in the United States.”

Charges are projected to be taken at the federal level, the sheriff’s report said. They include: conspiracy to commit a crime, killing of an endangered species, destruction of property, trespassing, destruction of habitat and ex-felon possession of firearm, the release states.

Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly could not immediately be reached for comment.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the National Park Service and Nye County Sheriff’s Office.

The park service initially offered a $5,000 reward for the capture of the three men; the center offered an additional $10,000.

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The reward still stands. “We are committed to releasing the reward but need more information,” Anderson said.

“I think among the locals there was a lot of support to get this crime solved,” Anderson said.