A California teenager’s life was significantly disrupted after social media users incorrectly identified him as the individual seen brutally kicking a sea lion in a viral video. Ryland Cuttitta, 18, stated that a single Instagram comment led to him being targeted with online harassment, doxxing, and death threats.
Cuttitta maintains he has no connection to the July 22 incident at La Jolla Cove, which is currently under investigation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for potential violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. "My name is Ryland Cuttitta, and I was not part of the video. I was not even there or associated with it in any way. It all came from an Instagram comment," he told NBC San Diego.
The disturbing video shows a man repeatedly kicking a sea lion resting on a concrete wall before chasing the animal. The footage generated widespread outrage, prompting a federal investigation and condemnation from animal welfare organizations.
According to Cuttitta, the ordeal began when he posted a sarcastic comment, "clearly self-defense," beneath a repost of the video. Other users misinterpreted his comment as a confession, leading to his erroneous identification as the attacker.
His mother, Susan Cuttitta, initially did not recognize the person in the video and expressed disgust at the animal abuse. Her concern grew when her son informed her of the accusations circulating online. "I went, ‘What? How are you being associated with it?’ Well, I made a comment, and I think some folks took my comment as me being the person in the video," she told NBC.
The family reported that their home address was posted online, and they began receiving threatening and obscene messages, including voicemails with death threats. Susan Cuttitta emphasized that her son was not in La Jolla at the time of the assault. "It was not my son. He wasn’t there. He was not even 10 miles from the La Jolla incident," she stated.
Ryland Cuttitta also pointed to physical differences between himself and the suspect in the video, noting that the individual had blonde hair and a buzz cut, while his own hair is dark and longer. "It wasn’t me in the video. I would never do anything like that. It was a very disturbing video," he said.
The family has filed an online report with the San Diego Police Department regarding the threats and has also communicated with the NOAA investigator. Ryland Cuttitta has since made his Instagram account private to mitigate the harassment. "It’s just crazy so many people can see one thing on social media, and just believe it," he remarked. "No one knew what I looked like. I put my account on private so I wouldn’t get harassed."
His mother described the incident as highlighting the dangers of online vigilantism. The family hopes the actual perpetrator of the attack is identified and held accountable, while simultaneously seeking to clear Ryland's name in what they describe as a severe case of mistaken identity.