A devastated California family is pleading for help after their pet parrot worth $2,500 was yanked off their porch and stolen by a brazen thief in broad daylight.
The hooded bird snatcher walked up to the front porch and aggressively grabbed the 4′ by 2′ bird cage with the parrot inside on March 12, according to footage obtained by ABC 7.
The thief was captured alongside a second man, shoving the cage into the back of a red SUV before taking off with the animal.
Police believe at least two people were involved in the theft, the outlet adds.
The African Gray Parrot named Luna was snatched off the front of the Orange County home early afternoon.
The family says their winged companion was outside getting some fresh air, and they are surprised at how quickly he was taken.
“Typically we have him out for a little while, just to get some sun, and the person just came in and in a matter of seconds took the bird and the cage,” Karen Gerardo, one of Luna’s owners told the outlet.
Luna — who’s been with the family for 10 years — is the family’s son’s pet, and the bird is said to be highly attached to the son.
“My brother tried chasing them down but they drove off quickly down Main towards Warner,” Abigail Ayapantecatl wrote in a Facebook post asking the public for help.
Gerardo said Luna was “a joy to have around” and even knew how to sing along and mimic certain movies and television shows and would say “hello” if someone answered the phone around him.
“No different than losing a dog or cat,” Gerardo told the outlet. “Birds, specifically, have their own personality. So it is a loss for our home.”
Gerardo said her family has received an outcry of support from social media and local pet store owners and hopes someone will identify the suspects involved.
The snatcher of the cage was seen in a charcoal gray hoodie, gray gloves, and light gray sweats, with his alleged accomplice wearing a tan bucket hat and black hoodie.
The SUV had no license plate on it at the time of the robbery, according to Ayapantecatl’s post.
The African grey parrot — which can live up to 70 to 80 years — is considered a brilliant bird, with studies finding that some can perform “cognitive tasks at levels beyond that of 5-year-old humans.”
The breed of parrot can be valued anywhere from $2,500 and $5,000.
“It’s been difficult,” Gerardo said. “It was a 4′ by 2′ [cage] in the middle of our living room, and having that void is a daily reminder that our pet is no longer with us. Not because it died, but because it was stolen by someone.”
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