Police cry ‘fowl’ after turkey breaks into Elk Grove house, sets off burglar alarm

Elk Grove police discovered an unlikely suspect when they were called about a tripped burglar alarm Thursday and discovered a shattered window on the top floor of a home.

Officers walked around the house, assessing the scene, and peered inside a sliding glass door. There they saw the perpetrator, lounging without a care, said Officer Jason Jimenez, a spokesman for the Elk Grove Police Department.

The cat burglar turned out to be a bird — specifically a turkey — which police say flew through the closed second-floor window and then made its way downstairs.

Jimenez said officers were unable to question the bird about the break-in.

“Officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, but he would only respond with fowl language,” Elk Grove police said in a Facebook post.

Jimenez said the bird made itself at home, letting out an occasional gobble.

“He was just hanging out, sitting on the coffee table in the living room,” he said. “He sat on the couch for a little while.”

Officers contacted the residents, who preferred police not enter their house and instead let the turkey roam around until they arrived. Animal control officials made arrangements for the bird to be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center. Jimenez said the animal showed no signs of distress and did not appear to be injured.

It’s not uncommon to see wild turkeys roaming the rural areas of Elk Grove, just south of Sacramento. But they usually don’t break into homes, police said.

“It’s something we don’t see every day,” said Jimenez, a 13-year veteran. “This is definitely a first for me.”

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra