What’s even more disturbing, she added, is that though she was able to chase the suspect away from the vehicle, he returned later that day to create additional damage. And, with his brightly colored attire, there was no question that this suspect made no attempt to flee or disguise himself, he even appeared proud of his act of vandalism.
When Phelan called the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station, within an hour of the incident, she was told no crime had been committed and the vehicle wasn’t involved in an accident; therefore, no officer would be coming out to complete a report.
Why, one might ask? The perpetrator was a fowl. A peacock, to be exact.
Evidently the peafowl saw his reflection in the shiny, black metal of the vehicle and believed he was attacking a rival peacock, Phelan said.
“And this isn’t an isolated incident,” she said. “I’ve seen peacocks attack hubcaps and other shiny cars before.”
Perhaps even more disturbing for Phelan than the response from the Sheriff’s department, was what she heard when she called La Cañada’s City Hall, believing the city to be responsible for the incident damages, since the city has a peacock management plan.
“I talked to Peter Castro, the public safety coordinator, and he didn’t feel the city was responsible — because the peacock is a wild animal,” she said, adding that Castro told her that Epperson “would have to file a claim against the city, if he decides to, or his insurance could go after the city, but [Castro] felt it wouldn’t be paid.”
Phelan wasn’t happy with that response.
