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Exotic bird stolen by balding thief in Lake Forest

Exotic gray parrot stolen by balding thief in Lake Forest
Exotic gray parrot stolen by balding thief in Lake Forest 02:15

Orange County deputies are searching for the balding thief who stole an exotic gray bird from a Lake Forest shop. 

The bird, named Baby, is a 3-month-old Congo African parrot with distinctive red feathers on its tail. It was being raised inside Omar's Exotic Birds, along with many other birds getting ready to be adopted. 

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A photo of the man accused of stealing the exotic bird.

"Little creature's life is in jeopardy," said Cinder Strahl, a manager at the shop. "This is a nursery of sorts. Everbody who is out here on a stand is under 4 or 5 months old. We are weaning them in order to provide a pet not a project to people who want to have a feathered pet."

The shop said that the suspect was a balding man wearing a red shirt and dark jacket who posed as a customer. Security camera footage captured the man slithering through while employees were busy helping potential new owners. 

One angle showed the bird-napper hiding behind the cages with Baby clutched close to his chest. After a while, he snuck out the front door with the expensive gray parrot and hopped into an SUV that resembled a Lincoln Nautilus. 

Baby was promised to a woman who had recently lost her husband. She had already placed a deposit or the exotic gray parrot to be her new companion. 

The Orange County Sheriff's Department is investigating the theft. There is a $2,500 reward for the safe return of Baby.

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