Reward increased in bald eagle shooting

Staff Report | @MyCentralJersey

Crime Stoppers of Hunterdon County has joined the Humane Society of the United States, The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in offering a reward for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for shooting and injuring an American bald eagle found in Pittstown.

Crime Stoppers of Hunterdon County's involvement brings the total reward offered by the four groups to $8,000.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the wounded eagle was found in the Shy Creek residential development of Pittstown on Dec. 7. An examination revealed that the eagle had been shot. The eagle sat perched in a tree for several days with a severely broken leg before rescuers could capture the bird and take him to a rehabilitation center.

Shooting an eagle is a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Someone convicted under those laws could face imprisonment of up to one and a half years with maximum fines of $100,000 and $15,000, respectively.

Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-321-0010 or by going to www.crimestoppershunterdon.com, or text messaging "HCTIPS" plus your tip message to 274637 (CRIMES). Tipsters can also download the free mobile app "Tipsubmit" and select Hunterdon County to submit anonymous tips via text messaging. All tips are anonymous and kept confidential. Crime Stoppers of Hunterdon receives no government funding. Citizens can support Crime Stoppers by making a contribution on their website.