Teen arrested for allegedly shooting an American Bald Eagle

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (FOX 26) - Harris County deputies arrested 17-year-old Orlando David Delgado for allegedly fatally shooting an American bald eagle on Tuesday.

A witness told a Harris County deputy he heard a loud pop and saw three males--one armed with a rifle--standing at the base of a tree where an American Bald Eagle had nested for years. The man told the deputy he walked over the the tree and found the eagle deceased.

According to HCSO, the man called 911, and as he waited for deputies to arrive, the three males returned to the scene. He said one pulled a feather from the eagle, and they drove off in a white truck.

The deputy was able to track Delgado to a home where the truck was parked. Delgado told the deputy he shot the eagle with a pellet gun and then shot it multiple times when the first shot did not kill the eagle.

Texas Parks and Wildlife charged Delgado with hunting without landowner's consent.