Hawaii man charged with killing 25 seagulls on Long Beach

A Hawaii man is facing charges of reckless driving and aggravated animal cruelty for allegedly intentionally driving a rented Jeep Wrangler into a flock of birds on Long Beach on July 27. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) forwarded these recommendations to Pacific County prosecutors after they concluded their investigation two weeks ago.

Investigators believe 25 seagulls were killed. Photos taken by witnesses and police show their bodies in the sand next to the Jeep. One photo shows a bird still stuck in the Jeep's grille.

According to the police report, the vehicle driven by the 64-year-old suspect was rented by his wife and there were no other people in the vehicle at the time.

Previous reporting: Man intentionally kills 25 seagulls with Jeep on Washington beach

My Northwest also uncovers new details about the moments before and after the incident. According to an official WDFW police report, Travis was spotted by Pacific County Sheriff's Deputy Mike Ray at an Ilwaco High School reunion golf tournament on the day of the incident. The officer who wrote the report also claims Ray identified the suspect based on witness photos.

“Undersheriff Ray stated that he encountered Travis at the class reunion golf event on Saturday at approximately 2:30 p.m. and believed Travis to be intoxicated at the time,” the officer said in her report.

According to investigators, they arrived at the location where the dead birds were found around 8 p.m. that same day. The officer also said in her report that a witness stated that the suspect “may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

Witnesses were shocked as they watched events unfold that day at Klipsan Beach. One described to police how he saw a man driving a four-door jeep hit birds at high speed. Another said they positioned their own vehicle so that the jeep driver had to stop. When Travis stopped, according to witnesses, he rolled down the window and repeatedly muttered “I'm sorry” before speeding away.

Police used witness photos of the Jeep's California license plates to track it down at a Budget rental car location at Portland International Airport. According to police reports, a Port of Portland officer met the Jeep after it arrived back at the rental car location and took photos of the damage to the front of the vehicle. In one of those photos, springs can still be seen in the grille.

Police said she also called Travis' wife and left a message asking the suspect to call her. After receiving no response, she texted the same number but again received no response, according to the police report. According to the police report, the officer texted again four hours later, saying, “…avoidance won't get rid of it.”

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Another hour later, according to police, Travis' wife responded via text message: “Thank you! I gave Jim the information. He will be in touch with you soon. Aloha.” However, investigators said Travis had not contacted them by the time they completed their report.

Investigators said they also found a Facebook page belonging to Travis' wife and found photos there that matched photos of the suspect taken by witnesses. The page said Travis and his wife have been married for 15 years.

MyNorthwest also discovered that both Travis and his wife own a home near the Waialae Iki community in Honolulu. A general contractor, remodeling and construction company is associated with the same home.

Luke Duecy is a reporter for KIRO Newsradio.