Family pleads to get stolen pet birds returned after burglary

DETROIT (WJBK) - A family home ransacked by thieves on Detroit's west side.
    
They stole TVs, blankets, clothes and the family's pet birds from the home on Hartwell. 

Detroit mother of three Starnitrice Johnson is disgusted learning someone not only broke into her home but stole her children's pets.
 
"What was the purpose," she said. "Like out of everything you took, why would you take some family birds?"

The family was out celebrating her daughter's 5th birthday with a trip to Splash Universe for the weekend.

"We left Friday at 2:00 to beat the traffic and we came back at 12 o'clock Sunday afternoon," she said.

But after returning home, Johnson and her kids discovered the side window and back door of their home wide open.

"I noticed that my air conditioner (was taken) out of the window," she said. "I noticed that my covers off my bed was missing, my sheets, my curtains were missing from my window."

On top of that, all of the TVs in their home, along with a projector, a vacuum cleaner, most of their clothing and shoes and even food from their refrigerator was stolen. Johnson was relieved to see their tiny poodle wasn't taken.

But Johnson and her kids quickly realized their two parakeets named Blue and Sky, as well as their cages, were gone. Johnson called Detroit police Sunday.

"I get all teary-eyed because I'm used to having them change their water and change their food," Johnson said. "And cleaning out their cage."

"I had them for so long so they meant the most to me," said her son David. "When I saw they were missing when I got home, I started crying because I miss them."

After speaking with police, Johnson says she is going to have security cameras and alarm system installed. She said she really doesn't care about her missing stuff that was stolen, she just wants her birds back. 

"I can work up on everything and get the stuff back," Johnson said. "But those birds meant the world to my kids."

Johnson, now asking whoever took their birds to simply return them, no questions asked.
 
"Leave them on the porch," Johnson said. "Do anything you have to do, give the kids back their stuff."

"Bring them back and don't sell them," David said. "Because they're not for sale."

"I want the birds back," Johnson's daughter Skye said. "Because I miss them so much."