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.

• Gopher tortoise released into the wild
• Raphael was found covered in red paint in April
• Workers at a rehabilitation center removed the paint
• PREVIOUS: Arrest made in case of red-painted tortoise

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.