According to Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, the stolen UTV the hawks were previously in was found around 10:30 a.m. at Avalon and Century boulevards. The containers the hawks were in were located, but they were empty, and the hawks were nowhere to be found.
The two quails were found in bags and appeared to have been stabbed with an instrument of some type, Butts said. The hawks' owner, Charlie Cogger, told Eyewitness News that the quails are used to feed the hawks.
Butts said that, out of due diligence, an animal cruelty investigation is underway.
The missing Harris's hawks -- Alice and Bubba -- are not pets. Cogger is a falconer who uses the hawks to keep other birds at bay. He was working at SoFi Stadium during Sunday's Rams game to keep other birds from making a mess on the crowd.
The key was left in the ignition of a maroon, two-seater Kawasaki Mule UTV, and the thief took off with it, along with the hawks, around 2:22 p.m., according to the Inglewood Police Department.
"It looked like somebody took it and used it to transport themselves to the area of Century and Avalon, and I think they became aware of the birds somewhere along the way, and they released them," Butts said. "So the best thing to do is to, one, make sure that your equipment is secured, and I don't think you'll see this happen again."
Cogger said vendors nearby alerted him to the theft.
The falconer still has his third hawk, Hope, but he admits that not having his two other hawks has been difficult for him.
"I've really been struggling for the last 24 hours. A lot of tears," he said.
The hawks are similar in appearance, with dark brown coloring and yellow feet.
The health of his hawks is a growing concern.
"The problem is I really need to get them back by no later than Thursday because then that means they'll have gone four days without water or food, and that's pretty hard on them," Cogger said.
The department released a photo of the suspect, described as a Black man wearing a black shirt/jacket with a white stripe down the shoulder, black pants and black shoes.
Butts says there are no tracking devices on the hawks. Anyone with information is asked to contact the IPD Watch Commander at 310-412-5206.