SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Six beloved birds in Southwest Miami-Dade are missing after a bird thief carelessly stuffed them into a bag and took off running.
The business’ camera footage captured the incident— just one in a string of crimes that Miami-Dade Police believe may be connected.
“One of our workers was like ‘The birds are stolen, the birds are stolen.’ I was like ‘What?'” said Javier Almedo of Galloway Farm Nursery on 7790 Southwest 87th Avenue.
The business reviewed surveillance video from July 6th that caught a man hopping the fence and then heading for two Amazon parrots.
“Sticks his hand in and grabs him,” said Almedo, indicating what he saw on the footage.
The bird bandit then ran away with the parrots, Jamie and Paco.
Riki and Pepe are two other birds that have also gone missing.
“We took the cage away because my wife and my kids were heartbroken,” said Eduardo Muñoz, owner of stolen birds.
The Harlequin Macaw and Umbrella Cockatoo were taken from a backyard in the 7300 block of Southwest 161st Place on May 16.
“We were sleeping and we hear some screaming from one of the birds,” said Natacha Cortes, the other owner. “We jump out of the bed, we run and as soon as we got into the backyard our birds were completely stolen.”
Riki is 23 years old and has been with Muñoz all her life.
Muñoz explained that he’s had her since he was in his twenties, getting emotional while sharing the story.
The loss was not only painful for him but for the entire family.
“It’s hurt me so much and to me they were really just so close, like family,” said Muñoz’s daughter, Sophia.
“They are our kids,” added Cortes.
Last week, two macaws, Loca and Manu, were stolen from another family’s home.
“We’ve had them for the last 26 years, so really they are more family than they are pets,” said Luis Gomez, owner of the two macaws.
Loca and Manu were taken on July 11 from a home near the intersection of Southwest 127th Place and 110th Street.
That day, surveillance video captured a black Maserati without a license plate driving by the home, then later pulling away from the side yard.
“It’s very sad, I don’t like to think about it too much,” continued Gomez. “I just hope they are in good hands.”
He’s offering a $5,000 reward for the safe return of his birds.
Galloway Farm Nursery is offering $300 each for Jaime and Paco.
“I never expected this,” said Muñoz.
He’s also willing to buy his birds back if the thief is looking to sell them, his family just wants them home.
“They need to come back to the family because they belong to us,” said Cortes.
The owners of these birds said that they’re likely stressed and not doing well, especially if they’ve been separated and some of them haven’t been away from their owners in decades.
If you have any information on this crime, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.