PREVIOUS REPORT: Porter man admits to shooting and killing bald eagle in 2024, US Attorney's Office says
According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Santos Guerrero, 43, pleaded guilty on May 14. Officials said U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray ordered that Guerrero serve 14 days in federal prison and pay a $5,000 fine.
Authorities said that Guerrero was allowed to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Officials said that Guerrero shot the eagle in his backyard on Oct. 11 2024, hid the bird in his garage, and later lied to law enforcement. Authorities said that they later found video footage of the eagle being shot and falling from a tree. Investigators said they found the eagle and took it to a vet, but it had to be euthanized due to its injuries.
Investigators said the bullet caused substantial damage to the eagle's wing, and that it also had liver fractures, internal bleeding, and a fractured leg.
While bald eagles are no longer considered an endangered species, they are still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The law mandates that killing, possessing, selling, transporting, exporting, or importing any bald or golden eagle, alive or dead, including any part, nest, or egg, is illegal unless permitted.