When Parakeets Go Bad

Crime is spreading among Avian-Americans (h/t The Corner):

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Police hope that someone will squawk about suspects in a hardware store robbery. A woman with a parakeet on her shoulder and a man walked into Sellers Trustworthy Hardware and walked out with nearly $400, police said.

Sue Zaun, of the store's owners, said the woman, who kissed the bird during the robbery, pretended to be interested in buying a cookie jar.

The woman left and returned with the man but they left and returned again asking to have key made. The man then went into a back room to ask about a storm window, Zaun said.

Zaun said she was grabbed by the arm and pulled into a back room where she saw that one of her employees had been hit and was on the floor.

Police said the employee did not appear to be seriously injured.

The suspects, and the bird, left the store and were still being sought.

"It was a pretty good-sized bird, and is did a lot of squawking," Zaun said.

As Warren Bell states at The Corner, the bird must have been in charge, otherwise why bring him.