Hawk flies into Hillsborough woman's home

SEFFNER (FOX 13) - The Hillsborough County Sheriff's office responded to a wild home invasion call Wednesday evening. A hawk had flown into the home of a Seffner woman, forcing her to evacuate the residence with her 3-year-old great-grandson.  

When deputies arrived at the scene, the woman told them she could hear the hawk flying around and breaking things inside the home.

According to Justin Matthews, of Matthews Wildlife Rescue, the bird is a juvenile red-shouldered hawk. 

Normally, corralling a wild bird of prey might be a tough situation for a deputy to handle— but not for Deputy Dan "Red" Jones, who responded to the scene.

Hillsborough County Sheriff PIO, Larry McKinnon, described Jones as their "resident Croc Dundee." 

Deputy Jones is a member of the county's search and rescue team, but he's become known for his keen ability to catch wild animals. In the past, he has captured a large opossum inside Brandon Town Center, two alligators, and even rescued a group of ducklings stuck in the road. 

Jones caught the hawk by tossing a towel over it, and safely set the bird free outside the home.