MIAMI — Some families in and around Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood are alerting Local 10 News to what they believe is an intruding trend.
From West Flagler Street, to Southwest Second Street and Northwest 14th Terrace, families are keeping an eye out on their flocks.
Jessica Altamirano sent Local 10 News a video of an intruder body-slamming a rooster.
The perp is seen in a black hoodie and pants taking the bird from her front yard.
Altamirano told Local 10 News that she bought the chicken for her 10-year-old daughter, who has autism. “Bianco” is her best friend.
The girl is now so distraught, the family made a flyer hoping to find him.
Another Little Havana, identifying herself as Evelyn, is upset about a man seen on her Ring camera walking into her yard.
He’s wearing a ball cap and has a large bag. She said it’s as if the chickens know what he’s up to.
“These chickens are smart,” Evelyn said. “They ran from him.”
Her camera has also recorded the trespasser trying to catch them with a net.
Amarilis Rosales, who lives north of the Dolphin Expressway, showed Local 10 News video of somebody jumping her fence last week. Her hen “Noelia” vanished.
“It’s not like we’re in Cuba,” Rosales said in Spanish.
The neighbors are concerned about these people coming on their property and also asking with so many chickens on the streets, why people are stealing theirs.
They say they don’t know why it’s happening.
When asked why she thinks chickens are being stolen, Evelyn responded with a rhetorical question.
“Why do you think anybody’s stealing a chicken in Little Havana?” she asked.
Rosales was a bit more direct.
“Brujería?” she said, using a Spanish word for witchcraft. “I don’t know.”
All of the residents say they’ve filed police reports. Police confirmed they’re investigating at least one of these cases.
Miami police said walking onto someone’s property without permission and taking something that’s not yours is a crime, but sacrificing chickens for religious purposes isn’t.
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