Rowlett police have arrested a suspect in connection with the serious injury of a feral cat.

According to a release, Jacob Cushingham, 45, was charged with Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals, a third-degree felony after having shot a dart at the cat, which penetrated its right eye.

Cushingham turned himself in at the Rowlett Police Department and is cooperating with investigators.

On August 21, the Rowlett Police Department and Rowlett Animal Services responded to a call about an injured animal at the Park at Bayside Apartments at 1801 Bayside Dr.

Officers found the cat with a red blow-dart, lodged in its right eye. Despite attempts to catch the cat, it evaded rescue until September 2, when two good samaritans recovered it and brought the animal to the Rowlett Animal Shelter.

From there the cat was turned over to Friends of Rescue Animals, who transported it to Dallas Animal Urgent Care.

The cat underwent surgery. Injuries from the dart required the removal of its right eye. The cat is now recovering and was placed in foster care with staff from Dallas Animal Urgent Care.

After photos of the injured cat surfaced on Facebook, rescue groups tried to trap the cat over the course of a number of days. The cat's plight earned national media coverage and Alley Cat Allies, a national rescue organization, offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the prosecution and conviction of those involved in shooting the kitten.

Cushingham, whose Linked In page has been taken down, was identified through community policing efforts. A spokesman for the Rowlett Police Department said that "the suspect stated he believed he was shooting at a opossum," also a harmless creature.

The case has been forwarded to the Rockwall County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Rowlett police Det. Cruz Hernandez told CBS News that "This was an event that should not have occurred."

"Once Shadow the cat was injured, then several people that encountered him, they took their time to work together as neighbors, as citizens in order to rescue Shadow, and it took days to do, but they did it. They did not give up."