https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYRka7tVRxI
NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A gray pigeon went on a rampage at New Roc City last Thursday and Talk of the Sound has the video to prove it.
Diane Daniels, a New Rochelle resident, gave Talk of the Sound a breathless account of a harrowing encounter with a territorial pigeon who did not take kindly to Daniels and several other shoppers at New Roc City encroaching on its space.
Daniels described how an innocent shopping excursion to Modell’s sporting goods store at New Roc City turned into a frightening encounter with a hyper-aggressive pigeon.
She parked her car on the second level of the parking garage at New Roc City and walked up to the fourth floor to the skywalk connecting the parking lot to the mall. As she approached the entrance to the skywalk she noticed a bird on the ground, looking through a window at two youngsters hiding in the skywalk from the bird.
Moments later, having made her purchase, Daniels returned back the way she came. She walked through the door, the bird no longer at the window, and began walking down the broken escalator stairs. Sensing she was being followed she made her way down to the third floor as she heard the flapping of wings. She suddenly found herself under attack by the pigeon.
Aiming to get down to her car, parked on the second level, she attempted to get on the escalator but the bird blocked her way. A standoff ensued with the bird flying around. Daniels landed a solid shot on the bird’s beak with her handbag knocking it to the ground.
“I was afraid to go on the escalator because once on the stairs I would not be able to swing my pocketbook,” said Daniels. “I ran away from the bird but it followed me.”
Daniels says she ran out into the parking lot screaming “somebody help me” but no help came. She says she flagged down a man driving a jeep but he drove away from her.
“He must have thought I was crazy,” said Daniels. The pigeon attack was very real.
“I hit it a few times but it just got more pissed off,” said Daniels.
Daniels says she noticed an elevator and made her way towards it, hoping it was in working order.
“I backed up slowly and pressed the button,” said Daniels. “The elevator door opened. As I got inside the bird started walking towards me but the elevator doors closed just in time.”
Daniels says she got down to the second floor parking lot, got in her car, locked up all the windows and drove home in an agitated state.
“I did not have any injuries but I was so petrified with it jumping up at me,” said Daniels. “I will never go there again.”
A review of the video tape from the New Roc City surveillance video shows that Daniels was one of several victims of the crazed fowl.
A man moving some milk crates appeared to have initially agitated the pigeon. When he walked back towards the door with the crates he had just moved, the bird took a run at him. Moments later a young boy was attacked by the bird. A girl with the young boy hid inside the skywalk, watching as the bird pecked the window to the skywalk.
While acknowledging the situation might appear silly to some, Daniels had a more serious concern.
“What is really scary is that if something was happening to me like I was being jumped there would’ve been nobody there to help me'” said Daniels, her voice trembling. “Somebody should help me.”
A search later that day by Talk of the Sound, looking for the angry bird, came up goose eggs.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The surveillance video obtained by Talk of the Sound did not have audio so we added Ave Satani, which some readers may recall as the theme song for The Omen.
