Sylvie Belmond 
Image Credit: 3Mules, Facebook. Photo by Yvette: “I drove by and stopped to meet 3 Mules, a man and a mule walking south. Around 2:30 p.m., they were traveling east on Redondo Beach Boulevard. Please be kind, support them, and drive safely as they pass through.”
As the road turns urban, the rules get murky
(CLAIR | SIMI VALLEY, CA) — After peacefully passing through Ventura County, Monk, also known as Mule, continues south with his mule Rosie. It’s a pilgrimage shaped by movement, not destination. But the route, once open and rural, has become more complicated in dense urban areas due to repeated encounters with law enforcement.
Earlier this week, Monk said he was stopped by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies while walking south. And on the morning of Jan. 22, he posted a series of updates describing an additional encounter with law enforcement as he crossed into Los Alamitos.
“They got out of their cruisers and stopped my forward progress,” he wrote. “They said they were getting calls about me being in the roadway. I wasn’t in the roadway. I was on the sidewalk.”
Officers reportedly told Monk that Los Alamitos has an ordinance prohibiting livestock. He was warned that he could be arrested and Rosie impounded if he did not leave town by the end of the day.
Monk does not answer questions during police encounters. He has said his goal is to be left alone to continue walking.
As his posts circulated, followers responded with concern and support for the man’s right to travel with his faithful equine.
Now in his late 70s, he has spent most of his life in motion. He bought his first mule at 36 and has had mules ever since. His presence on the road has drawn attention for years.
On his website and social media, 3 Mules documents his route, his encounters with authorities, and his belief in staying in motion. He does not build permanent shelters. He bivouacs for the night, then moves on.
As Monk shared updates from Long Beach and Los Alamitos, followers continued to weigh in. Some suggested legal resources or urged him to document ordinances. Others warned about the cost and difficulty of reclaiming an impounded animal. Many offered places to stay.
Monk declined offers for indoor accommodations.
“The mules have all the comfort they need. We live outside. The comforts of the inside don’t interest us,” he wrote.
For now, Monk keeps walking. He documents what happens. He avoids answering questions. And he repeats the message that has followed him across the West and into Southern California cities: slow down. Pay attention. Share the road.
