A Limestone County man accused of keeping a falcon in a shoebox for four days without food or water has been charged with animal cruelty, records show.

Luis Alfredo Lopez-Torres, 35, of 11567 Stewart Road, Tanner, was arrested Friday by Limestone County Sheriff’s Investigator Caleb Durden.

According to the complaint Durden filed in Limestone County District Court, Lopez-Torres subjected the American kestrel falcon to cruel mistreatment or neglect by keeping it in a shoebox without food or water in an abandoned home beginning May 11. “Falcons are protected birds in the United States, Mexico and Canada, so they cannot be kept as pets,” Durden told The News Courier Monday. “You can get a license to possess them, but if not, it’s a crime. If you find one, you should notify Fish and Game.”

Durden said the Sheriff’s Office notified Fish and Game about the falcon in question.

“The bird was healthy enough to be released back into the wild,” he said.

Lopez-Torres was released from the Limestone County Jail after posting a $500 bond on the misdemeanor charge.