Beloved parrot stolen from Del Rey homeowner's front porch

For 15 years the Lujan family has been greeted by a particular whistle...Johnny's whistle, their beloved Red Lord Amazon Parrot.

"I don't know where he learned to whistle that way but he always did", says Alex Lujan. Lujan was only 14 when his grandmother Elena gave the majestic parrot to him, then only a days old chick.

"He didn't even have feathers", says Alex as tears well up in his eyes. "I hand fed him. He grew up with me. He grew up with my family. He's not just a parrot, he's a family member."

But today Johnny's cage in Del Rey sits empty because on Tuesday August 9th a thug, a common thief ran into the Lujan's gated yard on Gilmore Avenue, opened the cage and ripped the parrot away from the only home he's ever known.

Johnny was bird-napped.

"I had just put him in his outside cage", says Lujan. "It was part of his daily routine to sit outside, get some sun and whistle at the neighborhood kids walking by."

A daily tradition cut short by a thug.

"I heard Johnny madly squawking and I looked outside and saw his cage door open", says Lujan. "I ran outside and saw a guy jump into an SUV with him. I grabbed my keys and tried to. catch them but couldn't."

The family left heartbroken at the loss of their family pet who is more like a family member.

"He was our baby", says Carmen Lujan, Alex's mom.

Since then Alex has posted over 400 flyers trying to find his feathered friend.

And now can only hope that after doing the wrong thing, the person who stole Johnny will do the right thing and return him to his family.

"Johnny is only 15 and he could live to be 40 years old", says Alex. "That gives me another 25 years to keep looking for him. I will never stop."

If you know where Johnny is please help the Lujan's by contacting LAPD Pacific Area Detectives at 310-482-6313 or the anonymous We Tip line at 800-222TIPS (8477).

Or e-mailing: helpfindJohnny310@gmail.com

Remember, you can remain anonymous!

Copyright 2016 FOX 11 Los Angeles : Download our mobile app for breaking news alerts or to watch FOX 11 News | Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube . Be a citizen journalist for FOX 11 and get paid - download the Fresco News App today.