A 16-year-old was arrested in connection to the butchering of a state-endangered and federally threatened American crocodile that lived on the University of Miami campus.

The arrest came as a result of several anonymous tips and weeks of investigation from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and University of Miami Police. The suspect, John Michael Herndon, told investigators where to find the head of the crocodile. The Miami-Dade Police Department dive team later retrieved it from a lake near the campus.

Faculty, students, local businesses and wildlife groups were angered by the killing of the nearly 10-foot crocodile. Several groups donated money toward a reward leading to an arrest: CompUSA contributed $5,000, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the HSUS Wildlife Land Trust contributed $2,500, and Miami-Dade Crimestoppers contributed $1,000.

“It is really disturbing that this person and his friends could come onto our campus and viciously kill this crocodile, which presented a threat to no one,” said Chief David Rivero of the University of Miami Police Department.

University police charged Herndon with killing an endangered or threatened species, felony cruelty to animals, trespassing on school property, possession of burglary tools, grand theft (the value of the crocodile), contributing to the delinquency of a minor, unlawful possession of communication devices in the commission of a crime, criminal solicitation and criminal conspiracy.

Other arrests in connection with this case may be forthcoming.