Overview
- Santos Guerrero, 42, entered a guilty plea Thursday, with U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray setting sentencing for July 30.
- Prosecutors say he faces up to one year in federal prison and a maximum $100,000 fine under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
- Investigators report the shooting happened on Oct. 11, 2024, at Guerrero’s Porter home after video showed the eagle being hit and falling from a tree.
- Agents matched the tree in the footage to his yard, found the bird alive, and had it taken to an animal hospital where it was euthanized due to its injuries.
- A necropsy found severe wing damage from a bullet plus trauma from the fall, including liver fractures, internal bleeding, and a broken leg.