ATLANTA — The owner of a popular Buckhead restaurant is overjoyed after her three exotic birds were stolen from the establishment early Friday morning. Authorities have also arrested the man they said was behind the bird heist.
R. Thomas Deluxe Grill has been in Buckhead for 37 years when Linay Sheltra's father, Richard Thomas -- the co-founder of Bojangles -- opened the business in 1986. Sheltra now owns it six years after her dad died. She describes the restaurant as a "fun, funky, '70s vibe" that customers have never experienced before.
Part of that experience is Sheltra's three parrots that customers are greeted by when they walk in: Ruby, Peaches and Cream.
The birds are rare, which in turn means they're expensive. Ruby is a mix between two breeds of a Catalina macaw, which is very uncommon, Sheltra explained. Ruby is a bit temperamental, and Sheltra playfully said she started to not like her anymore after her father passed. Peaches and Cream, on the other hand, are described as "teenage boys" who love to be pet.
Sheltra said that many customers who have been coming for 30 years now are drawn to the restaurant because of the relationships they have molded with the parrots.
Stolen birds
"It's so funny to watch young moms come up and bring their kids and go, 'oh my gosh Richard used to put this one on my arm, his name is Peaches,'" Sheltra said. "It's so sweet to see the bond carried over from year-to-year. That's why they're so special to us."
Sheltra said their third-shift manager left around 5:30 a.m. before a truck pulled in just after 6 a.m. Her manager broke the devastating news to her a while after.
"My manager called me and said 'The birds are gone.' I thought 'Come on John, don't April fool me, this is not funny the birds can't be gone -- nobody could get the birds,'" Sheltra recalled.
The below surveillance footage shows the moments the suspect stole the three parrots from their cages outside the restaurant.
After coming to the realization the birds were stolen, Sheltra said she became flustered at the thought of not knowing where her feathered family had gone.
"I panicked; I got scared. I called a friend that is in PR and she contacted everyone that she could contact in Atlanta," Sheltra said. "I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, but I own the restaurant in Atlanta so I'm there every two weeks."
She said she remembered holding Cream when she was here on Wednesday and described the feeling they were no longer in their cages as unbelievable.
After police followed leads from several surveillance camera angles, they soon found the parrot pirate who they say was responsible for taking the beloved birds. The 49-year-old was arrested and charged with theft by taking and second-degree criminal damage to property-- both felonies.
After finding the man and recovering the birds, Sheltra is overjoyed they are unharmed and back in loving arms.
"But the birds are back home in their cages," Sheltra said with a big smile. "We're letting them kind of settle down. They're homebodies -- they like to be in the same place all the time. They don't like change. Today rocked their world, and ours."
Sheltra is hopeful that customers will continue coming in to enjoy the company of her three friends just as much as they will enjoy the food.