Norwalk woman ‘never thought in a million years’ wild turkey would crash into home

NORWALK — Sammi Gonias and her 6-year-old daughter, Scarlett, were cooking a dessert pizza last Friday when an unexpected guest burst through the dining room window of their West Norwalk home.

A large, wild turkey shattered the window and rampaged through the kitchen, living and dining room area around 7 p.m. that night, Gonias said.

“Right before, we saw a couple turkeys walking in the yard, and two minutes later one flew through the window,” she said. “I didn’t know what was happening. I saw a turkey on the floor and heard glass breaking. It is so loud, it sounded like movie when someone crashed through window.”

Chaos ensued.

Scarlett began crying, asking her mother if the turkey was going to destroy the house, Gonias said, while the family’s Jack Russell terrier, Carolyn, began attacking the bird. The dog left the tussle unscathed.

“I didn’t know what going to happen too,” Gonias said. “Is it going to flop and knock things down?”

After her husband, Jason, unsuccessfully attempted to wrestle the bird from the home for about 20 minutes, the couple resorted to calling animal control, who said no one was available and to instead contact police.

Shortly after, Norwalk police officer Andrew Roncinske arrived at the Huckleberry Drive home to corral the unruly fowl.

With the help of Jason, Rocinske pinned the turkey against the living room wall with a blanket and pushed the bird into a large, empty bucket, according to the incident report.

“Turkey feathers and broken glass were covering the house,” Rocinske wrote in the report.

Having secured the bird, Rocinske released it down the road and the turkey left of its own accord, Norwalk Police Department spokeswoman Sgt. Sofia Gulino said.

The ordeal lasted about four hours, including the hour needed to remove the turkey and an additional two and a half to clean the mess it left.

The window repair, which occurred this week, cost about $400 but the repairs to the area surrounding the window, which will require sanding and repainting, have not yet been estimated, Gonias said.

“Everyone is OK. It was just more we never thought in a million years something like this can happen,” Gonias said.