Text Practice Mode
Bulldog puppy stolen in fake seizure heist is found and returned to Colorado pet store
created Wednesday February 26, 04:43 by nguyễn Mai
2
513 words
65 completed
0
Rating visible after 3 or more votes
saving score / loading statistics ...
00:00
A good Samaritan returned one of the two bulldog puppies stolen last week from a Denver-area pet store in a brazen heist caught on camera, authorities said Tuesday.
Three men staged a seizure to divert attention and steal a pair of the puppies — valued at over $8,000 — from Perfect Pets in Centennial, Colorado, a city about 14 miles south of downtown Denver, on Friday.
An unnamed woman purchased one of the puppies from a street vender in north Denver for $1,500, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on X on Tuesday. The woman then returned the dog after realizing it matched the description of one of the stolen pups in news articles, authorities said.
"She immediately called the store when she recognized her puppy matched the photos in the story," the sheriff's office wrote. "Perfect Pets is grateful for being reunited with the dog and plans to give her a reward."
The trio of thieves walked into the store within several minutes of one another on Friday, looked around and inquired about the 11-month-old bulldogs, authorities said in a statement on Monday. One of them then began to fake a seizure to distract employees, while another grabbed the two bulldogs, authorities said.
An employee tackled the suspect who grabbed the two dogs, authorities said, but the he managed to escape with the puppies. The two men got away in a gold Cadillac Escalade with chrome wheels, authorities said. The SUV was driven by a fourth suspect who is believed to be female, authorities added.
The man who authorities said faked a seizure was identified as Timothy Davis, 37. Davis was apprehended by law enforcement officers who responded to the scene and was charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, theft and drug possession. Davis was behind bars based on $2,500 bond, with an initial court date scheduled for Thursday, according to jail records.
It is unclear if Davis has legal representation. A spokesperson for the Arapahoe District Attorney's Office did not immediately return a request for comment.
A spokesperson for the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office told NBC News in a phone call on Tuesday that they have not made any new arrests. The spokesperson added that the second puppy has not been found as of Tuesday afternoon.
Jens Larsen, who owns the pet store, said in a phone call that the returned puppy is "doing well."
"Puppies are pretty resilient. He's doing OK. Doesn't look like he had any physical harm, he doesn't have any scars on him or anything like that," Larsen said. "Looks like he's missing his little brother. We're still trying to get him back."
Larsen said that two additional puppies were stolen from the store on Feb. 12 by a woman carrying a baby and another woman pushing a stroller. One of the woman told Larsen she was purchasing hamsters for a niece and nephew as a distraction to take a shih tzu valued at more than $2,000, Larsen said.
Three months prior to that, another puppy was stolen from the store, he added
Three men staged a seizure to divert attention and steal a pair of the puppies — valued at over $8,000 — from Perfect Pets in Centennial, Colorado, a city about 14 miles south of downtown Denver, on Friday.
An unnamed woman purchased one of the puppies from a street vender in north Denver for $1,500, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on X on Tuesday. The woman then returned the dog after realizing it matched the description of one of the stolen pups in news articles, authorities said.
"She immediately called the store when she recognized her puppy matched the photos in the story," the sheriff's office wrote. "Perfect Pets is grateful for being reunited with the dog and plans to give her a reward."
The trio of thieves walked into the store within several minutes of one another on Friday, looked around and inquired about the 11-month-old bulldogs, authorities said in a statement on Monday. One of them then began to fake a seizure to distract employees, while another grabbed the two bulldogs, authorities said.
An employee tackled the suspect who grabbed the two dogs, authorities said, but the he managed to escape with the puppies. The two men got away in a gold Cadillac Escalade with chrome wheels, authorities said. The SUV was driven by a fourth suspect who is believed to be female, authorities added.
The man who authorities said faked a seizure was identified as Timothy Davis, 37. Davis was apprehended by law enforcement officers who responded to the scene and was charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, theft and drug possession. Davis was behind bars based on $2,500 bond, with an initial court date scheduled for Thursday, according to jail records.
It is unclear if Davis has legal representation. A spokesperson for the Arapahoe District Attorney's Office did not immediately return a request for comment.
A spokesperson for the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office told NBC News in a phone call on Tuesday that they have not made any new arrests. The spokesperson added that the second puppy has not been found as of Tuesday afternoon.
Jens Larsen, who owns the pet store, said in a phone call that the returned puppy is "doing well."
"Puppies are pretty resilient. He's doing OK. Doesn't look like he had any physical harm, he doesn't have any scars on him or anything like that," Larsen said. "Looks like he's missing his little brother. We're still trying to get him back."
Larsen said that two additional puppies were stolen from the store on Feb. 12 by a woman carrying a baby and another woman pushing a stroller. One of the woman told Larsen she was purchasing hamsters for a niece and nephew as a distraction to take a shih tzu valued at more than $2,000, Larsen said.
Three months prior to that, another puppy was stolen from the store, he added
