Updated

A Texas teen admitted to fatally shooting a bald eagle Tuesday that was known for years in the Houston neighborhood.

The 17-year-old reportedly admitted to police that he shot the bird with a high-powered pellet rifle. The Dallas Morning News reported that the bird did not die after the first shot, and required several additional pellets.

The suspect and three men reportedly walked up to the carcass and plucked a feather out before leaving in a white van.

“I watched the eagle for over five years and thought it was my responsibility to just stand guard over the eagle, where no none would take it away or (have any) disregard of it,” Dale Jozwiak told the paper.

FoxNews.com did not identify the teen because he is considered a minor. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department charged him with a class A misdemeanor for hunting without a landowner’s consent, the report said.