An unidentified thief has stolen at least six birds in the SW Miami-Dade area, NBC6’s Olivia Jaquith reports.
Two southwest Miami-Dade families and one local business are searching for answers after at least six birds were stolen in the area in recent weeks.
The first reported incident happened on May 16. A macaw and cockatoo were stolen from a residence on SW 161st Place.
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"We were sleeping. The birds were right next to our room in the porch in a cage," Eduardo Muñoz told NBC6. "It's scared. What can I say? My daughters are traumatized."
He said his family was home at the time of the alleged theft, adding to the level of concern. Muñoz said that he knew something was wrong when the birds, Riki and Pepe, started screaming.
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"They were part of my family," he said. "I always thought it was almost impossible to take them."
Also in southwest Miami-Dade, the Gomez family expressed a similar sentiment in speaking with NBC6 last week. Luis Gomez, the owner of two parrots that were reported stolen and the relative of an NBC6 employee, said he was heartbroken when he learned on July 16 that his family's birds — Loca and Manú — had also been stolen.
"They're big animals, so we're thinking that the person who did this, you know, is experienced, and they handle these animals on a day-to-day basis," Gomez said.
Surveillance video obtained by NBC6 showed yet another alleged bird theft, which happened on July 6 at Galloway Farm Nursery.
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"I was distraught," employee Javier Almedo said. "I knew these birds for quite a while. I was always the one who would feed them."
Despite fencing, visible surveillance cameras and signage warning that the property was being watched, an individual appeared to break into the nursery and head straight for the cages, leading employees to believe that the alleged theft had been there before.
"He or she knew exactly where they [the birds] were," Almedo said. "He didn't waste no time. He just came straight here and got them."
Employees said that the birds, named Jamie and Paco, had been with the nursery for approximately 10 years, replacing a previous pair of birds that had also been stolen and never returned. Galloway Farm Nursery is now offering a reward for the safe return of Jamie and Paco.
"They were there for the customers to come enjoy," Almedo said, as a young customer entered the nursery and asked about the birds. "We just want them back home safe, and we just hope that someone will come forward and either turn themselves in, or if they have any information, go to local authorities."
