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Police Seek Suspect In Case Of Purloined Parrot

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade police have released surveillance video of a man wanted for stealing an expensive bird from the backyard of a home in Southwest Miami-Dade.

The theft took place on August 20th around 8:42 a.m.  In the video, a man can be seen pulling up to a home in the 32-hundred block of SW 64th Avenue in a Silver, 4-door BMW with dark tinted windows.

parrot thief suspect2

The parrot, a 4-year-old male blue and white Macaw named "Papo" belongs to the Rondon Family, who say they are heartbroken and feel their family has been torn apart.

"My children are suffering greatly because of this," said Elvira Rondon. "The person who took Papo may have taken him for his financial value, but to us he was a member of the family."

The man who stole Papo wore a long-sleeved green shirt, a floppy hat, and carried a large towel, possibly used to carry Papo away in. The thief cut the lock to Papo's cage, snatched the bird and fled in the BMW.

"I thought the parrot had escaped," said Rodolfo Rondon. "I never imagined someone would steal him. When I saw that the lock had been cut, I immediately went to check the surveillance camera to see how it happened."

Besides a description of Papo, Miami-Dade police also released some of Papo's favorite words and phrases in hopes someone may hear the bird say it. They are: Jonathan, Alex, Elvira (pronounced El-veera in Spanish), Rado, as well as Flaca, Ladra, Tose, and Que paso, Papo?.

Anyone with any information on the suspect, or on Papo's whereabouts, should call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

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