Teen Misidentified as Sea Lion Attacker Faces Online Harassment After Sarcastic Comment

A teenager from California, Ryland Cuttitta, claims a three-word comment on Instagram led strangers to believe he was the man seen kicking a sea lion in a widely shared video from July 22 at La Jolla Cove. The clip, which shows a young male repeatedly striking the animal and chasing it, prompted a federal probe by NOAA for possible violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Cuttitta’s sarcastic reply, “clearly self-defense,” was misconstrued as an admission, resulting in his home address being posted online, death threats and obscene voicemails.

His mother, Susan Cuttitta, emphasized that her son was not present at the location and noted the physical differences between him and the suspect. The family filed a report with the San Diego Police Department and has spoken with the NOAA investigator. Ryland now keeps his Instagram account private to avoid further targeting, while authorities continue to search for the actual perpetrator.