Man charged with killing parakeet in Detroit-area pet shop

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — A man faces criminal charges for allegedly stomping a parakeet to death inside a Detroit-area pet shop.

Ali Chehade, 22, of Dearborn, was arraigned Thursday on third-degree animal killing, the Wayne County prosecutor’s office said.

A judge ordered Chehade to undergo a psychological evaluation. He also is not allowed to have animals or pets in his home, prosecutors said.

The Associated Press was unable to immediately determine whether Chehade had an attorney who could comment on the allegations. A probable cause conference was scheduled for June 7, followed by a June 14 preliminary examination.

Police who responded to the Allen Park pet shop on May 18 for an animal cruelty complaint found the parakeet inside a smashed cardboard box. Store owner Michael Simms said a man came in upset and wanted a $30 refund for the bird.

“I calmed him down and continued to tell him, ‘I’ll give you credit. You can get anything in the store and I’ll make sure the bird is OK,’” Simms told WDIV-TV. “With how irate he was, I didn’t know how he was going to care for it. I was more worried about the animal than anything.”

But when Simms opened the box, he saw that the parakeet had a bloody wing. In an encounter recorded on store surveillance video, the man grabbed the box, threw it to floor and stomped on it before leaving.