MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A Redland farm owner is left devastated after waking up to find a few dogs dead and about 300 exotic birds stolen from his farm.
Surveillance video obtained by Local 10 News reveals a car pulling up on Tuesday night, and four men getting out, walking around the premises.
One of the suspects, wearing a face covering and gloves, tampered with a second camera, the owner claims.
The suspects allegedly broke through a neighboring property to gain access to his, stealing the birds and leaving cages empty.
“I feel helpless,” said Michel Ojito, the farm’s owner. “This cannot happen.” The stolen birds, which could have generated between $50,000 and $100,000 in potential sales, were taken without a trace.
Ojito says he discovered the crime when he went outside to begin his day around 5 a.m. and noticed something strange.
“I see that my dog, my main pet… didn’t come to me,” he explained.
The owner says the loyal dog, Rocky, didn’t greet him as usual.
As he walked around, he found Rocky, his Rottweiler Lola, two rat terriers, and his neighbor’s dog — all seemingly poisoned.
The animals were seemingly killed to prevent them from barking and alerting their owners to the robbery.
“He’s appealing to the public because he feels, not so much the theft, but he wants people to understand that while the theft was bad enough, his biggest concern is the fact that they killed his dogs. His daughter is devastated, and his whole family is,” said Jose Alfonso, a friend of the victim and fellow bird breeder.
Now desperate for justice, the victim believes the birds will be sold for cash and offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.