ORLANDO, Fla. -- A gopher tortoise found covered in red spray paint and concrete has been released back into the wild, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The tortoise, named Raphael, was found in April in the middle of County Road 455 in Lake County.

A pair of good Samaritans took him to an animal rescue facility where workers removed the paint and concreted from his shell and skin. 

In May, 37-year-old Edwin Escalera, of Apopka, was charged in connection to the case.

Escalera told FWC investigators he was working at a business near a tortoise burrow and dumped the red paint into the hole because he was in a hurry.

Escalera was charged with littering and unlawful possession of a gopher tortoise.

Gopher tortoises are listed in Florida as threatened and are a protected species.