Accused Bird Napper Behind Bars

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — A 42-year-old Holiday man faces burglary charges after Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies say he swiped a macaw from a New Port Richey home earlier this month.

According to deputies, Russel Albert Smith went onto the porch of a home in the 5600 block of Columbia Drive around 2:10 p.m. Aug. 1, and helped himself to a caged bird. The blue-and-gold macaw, an arrest report noted, is worth an estimated $2,000.

After taking the bird, deputies say Smith left the home.

A witness identified Smith from a photo pack on Aug. 4, the arrest report said. Attempts to catch up with the accused bird napper, however, met with failure until Thursday, Aug. 17. Deputies found Smith at a home on Blossom Drive in Holiday just before 2 a.m.

While Smith remained in the Pasco County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond Friday, the sheriff’s office said the bird has been recovered.

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Booking photo courtesy of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office