CONCORD, Calif. – An East Bay bird shop owner was left “horrified” when her shop, Feathered Follies, was burglarized last month, and two exotic birds were stolen. The incident, which occurred in early September, marked the first burglary since the shop’s opening in 2020. However, on Tuesday, the Concord Police Department announced that one of the stolen birds, Tofu, had been recovered and two suspects were identified in the case.
The stolen birds, 25-year-old umbrella cockatoo Tofu and 28-year-old red-bellied parrot Plato, were taken from their cages. The theft went unsolved for a while, with no immediate leads. But an unrelated criminal investigation by the Union City Police Department uncovered critical evidence, reigniting the investigation.
Search warrants were executed across multiple cities, including Fremont, San Jose, Union City, and Modesto, as part of the investigation, which involved several specialized units of the Concord Police Department. Through their work, detectives discovered that Tofu had been sold multiple times after the theft. The final seller, located in Modesto, cooperated with the investigation, and it was determined they were unaware the bird had been stolen. The seller had even traveled to Los Angeles to purchase Tofu.
Police identified two suspects in the case: Edward Casey, of San Jose, and Erik Stabile, of Fremont. Casey was arrested, while Stabile remains at large, with an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
Tofu has since been reunited with his rightful owners, but Plato is still missing. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to contact Detective Dylan Luciano at [email protected] or (925)-603-5831.
Feathered Follies owner Mercedes Kemp emphasized the cruelty of separating the two birds, who require special care and companionship.
