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Macomb couple face felony charges for claiming theft of $2,500 bird
A Macomb County couple are facing multiple felony charges after police said they lied about the theft of an expensive bird and even created a fake receipt as proof of their alleged ownership.
MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. - A wild story involving an exotic bird being stolen from a Macomb Township home and its owner being assaulted by the thief was determined to be untrue after police conducted a month-long investigation into the allegation.
Now, the two people that accused a 63-year-old man of stealing the bird have been charged with multiple felonies.
Both Lauryn Siler and Christopher Urbanczyk were arraigned on charges of filing a false police report and lying to a peace officer after the couple alleged a female Eclectus Parrot carrying an egg had been stolen from their home.
Macomb County sheriff deputies were initially dispatched to the 17000 block of Birch Drive following a report of a home invasion where an exotic bird reported to be worth $2,500 was stolen and the homeowner was assaulted.
When deputies arrived, they spoke with Siler, 30, and her fiancé Urbanczyk, 37, who had arrived at the scene. Siler said the man who had robbed and assaulted her was an acquaintance. He allegedly came to her home, forced his way inside, and once he located the parrot, took it and fled.
Siler followed after the male who put the bird in his vehicle. She attempted to retrieve the bird but was pushed to the ground.
Siler showed police a receipt for the bird that revealed she had purchased it from a business in Royal Oak. A news release from the police also said Urbanczyk "continued to interrupt deputies stating that deputies had ‘24 hours’ to handle the matter or he would handle it himself."
As information began to circulate on social media, the 63-year-old male turned himself into the Macomb County Sheriff's Office. There, he told police the bird belonged to him and he did not steal it. According to the man's account, he allowed Siler to take the bird in order to have it breed with her male Eclectus bird. But since the man could not show a proof of ownership, he was lodged in the county jail with a warrant that had been authorized by the prosecutor's office.
The man was released later that day and the charges were ultimately dropped.
Ten days after the initial incident, a search warrant was conducted of the man's residence in Caco Township. There, the bird was located and seized before getting turned over to the animal control office for safekeeping.
In normal instances of the sale of a bird, the seller should have several pieces of documentation for the animal, including a certificate of vet inspection. The state requires these documents to be kept for a certain time frame set by the state.
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After investigators cleared the man's home, a family member of the man provided documentation from an exam of the bird showing ownership by him. It revealed proof of ownership that tracked the bird from its birth to the time it was purchased.
Police then determined the receipt that Siler had shown deputies was fictitious. It had been created by her and her fiance. A follow-up with the pet store where the couple said they bought the bird confirmed with police that they never sold her the bird.
When investigators followed up with Siler, she again stated she owned the bird before asking the deputies to leave the home.
The bird was eventually returned to the 63-year-old man and charges were filed against the couple.
Lauryn Siler
- Count 1: Uttering and Publishing (felony)
- Count 2: False Report of a Felony (felony)
- Count 3: False Report of a Felony (felony)
- Count 4: Lying to a Peace Officer (misdemeanor)
Christopher Urbanczyk
- Count 1: Uttering and Publishing (felony)
- Count 2: False Report of a Felony (felony)
- Count 3: False Report of a Felony (felony)
- Count 4: Lying to a Peace Officer (misdemeanor)