TRENTON, N.J. — Cries for help inside a Trenton home turned out to be for the birds.
Neighbors called police Wednesday morning after hearing a persistent cry of “Help me! Help me!” in a female-sounding voice coming from a house. Officers arrived, and when no one answered the door, they kicked it in to make a rescue.
But instead of a damsel in distress, officers found a caged cockatoo with a convincing call.
It wasn’t the first time the 10-year-old bird named Luna said something that brought authorities to the home of owner Evelyn DeLeon.
About seven years ago, the bird cried like a baby for hours, leading to reports of a possible abandoned baby and a visit to the home by state child welfare workers. But it was only Luna practicing a newfound sound, DeLeon said.
DeLeon said her bird learns much of her ever-growing vocabulary from watching television, in both English and Spanish.
