Los Angeles, Ca
Local, wild parrots are being targeted and killed in Southern California
Images in this story and above video may be considered disturbing
Rumors are aplenty, and nobody knows the real reason why, but Los Angeles and its surrounding areas have been fortunate to be populated with beautiful, “model citizen” parrots for decades.
But as of late, in a disturbing trend, many of these birds in the San Gabriel Valley are being found by residents with severe wounds, or even dead.
Cleo Watts, founder of non profit animal rehabilitation center Cleo’s Critter Care in Pasadena, says she’s received several calls reporting severe injuries or deaths to the friendly creatures in the area.
“I’ve been getting a lot of phone calls for birds being shot down,” Watts told KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw. “It’s very upsetting to know that somebody would do this to these animals.”
Watts admits that the colorful birds are a controversial topic in Pasadena, Altadena and the rest of the San Gabriel Valley. They can be loud and somewhat obnoxious, she said, leading to some wishing the birds weren’t populating the area.
“We have leaf blowers, we have people with loud [car] exhausts, crying babies, barking dogs,” she said. “We don’t go shooting them. So why these guys?”
The suspected targeting of these birds isn’t the first time it’s happened in the L.A. area — it happened just last year in Temple City, when someone placed nets into trees, resulting in the death of some birds.
This time around, Watts said it appears that someone is “shooting” the birds with some kind of weapon. As many as 11 parrots have been killed or severely injured in recent weeks.
The surviving, injured birds have been placed into Watts’ care. She’s taken some to specialists, where they can receive intensive care as needed.
One parrot brought into her care was missing half of a wing, according to Watts.
Anyone with information as to a suspect in these crimes are encouraged to call police. Anyone that finds an injured bird is encouraged to reach out to Watts at cleoscrittercareca@gmail.com.
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
Los Angeles, Ca
Boyle Heights warehouse cleanup begins as crews face 85 million pounds of spoiled food
Cleanup efforts are underway Thursday at the Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse that burned for eight days after firefighters officially declared the massive blaze knocked down Wednesday evening. Los Angeles Fire Department crews remain at the Lineage warehouse near Union Pacific Avenue and South La Puente Street as they transition into the overhaul phase, searching for […]
A hospital needs help identifying a male patient who was found injured and unconscious in downtown Los Angeles.
The man is believed to be in his 30s, according to the Los Angeles General Medical Center.
He was found injured on the ground on Omar Street and has been hospitalized since June 22.
He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 176 pounds. He has brown eyes, dark brown hair and tattoos across his upper body.
He did not have any personal belongings to help staff identify him or contact loved ones. Workers did not disclose the nature of his injuries.
Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call clinical social worker Cesar Robles at 323-409-6885.
The public can also call the L.A. General Medical Center’s Department of Social Work at 323-409-5253 or, after hours from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., call 323-409-6883. On weekends, call 323-409-5254.
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