A Hawaii family is appealing for public help in finding a 50-pound tortoise that was stolen from the yard under cover of night.

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Lori Dias and her family said the 10-year-old female Sulcata tortoise disappeared out of their Kailua yard at about 11:30 p.m. Monday, KITV, Honolulu, reported Thursday.

"I heard a noise and by the time I looked out the window. I saw someone. To me, it looked like a young man running by the mailbox there. Before I realized what was happening he was gone," Dias said.

She said the thief likely recognized the animal as a female tortoise, which are particularly valuable.

Dias said the family just wants their pet back.

"If they don't know what Portuguese Cubronte is, it's bad mojo, and I want them to bring that tortoise back and put it in the yard the way they stole it in the middle of the night otherwise they're going to get a lot of bad mojo on them," Dias said.