ICYMI: New Jersey Pet Store Employee SHOT in Face With Crossbow—Days After Theft!
A New Jersey pet store employee was shot in the face with a crossbow weeks after a $7,000 parrot theft. 🌐 #News #SaddleBrookNJ #NewJersey #Crime
SADDLE BROOK, NJ – Violence erupted at a New Jersey pet store when an employee took a crossbow bolt to the face, just weeks after a bold theft rocked the same business. The shocking incident unfolded Monday evening at Birds By Joe 2 in Saddle Brook, leaving the community reeling and police hunting for answers.
Crossbow Attack Stuns Saddle Brook
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office reported that Saddle Brook police rushed to Birds By Joe 2 around 5:55 p.m. after a frantic 911 call.
A female employee had been struck in the face by a crossbow bolt, and the attacker was already gone. Emergency crews raced her to a nearby hospital, where she stabilized despite severe injuries.
Parrot Theft Sets Stage for Violence
This isn’t the first time trouble has struck the store.
On January 23, the same employee was working when a man walked in, asking to see a $7,000 African gray parrot. She brought the bird out in a small cage, and the suspect snatched it and bolted.
Surveillance footage from sister store Birds By Joe in Green Brook Township captured the thief—later identified as 24-year-old Onyx Calderon of Paterson—fleeing with the prize.
Police recovered the parrot soon after and returned it to Birds By Joe 2, but Calderon remains at large. Now, authorities are left wondering if the two crimes are connected.
Store Shuts Down Amid Investigation
Birds By Joe 2 closed its doors temporarily after the shooting.
In a Facebook post, the store shared an update: “Katarina is recovering and investigations are underway.” The injured employee, present during both incidents, now faces a long road to recovery.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Saddle Brook Police Department are leading the probe. No official link between the theft and the shooting has been confirmed.
The quiet town of Saddle Brook waits for justice as this bizarre saga unfolds.
RELATED TOPICS: Crime | New Jersey
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