LAUDERHILL, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida family has been left heartbroken after surveillance video captured a burglar snatching up their dog in broad daylight.
The video showed the subject grabbing the family’s 4-year-old Pomeranian named Louis from their gated yard in Lauderhill near Northwest 13th Court and 33rd Avenue on Sunday at around 3:30 p.m.
The Ingrams said the dog is a link to someone they have lost.
“Louis was right there by her side, the good days and bad days,” said dog owner Jasmine Ingram. “He was always there.”
Louis was 23-year-old Bianca Ingram’s best friend.
“She has brain cancer, and she lost to her battle,” said Jasmine Ingram. “He’s become a part of the family ever since she’s been gone. He’s been our comfort. He gives us hope.”
The footage captured a dark SUV as it pulled up along a side street. That’s when a man could be seen running through two yards before jumping a fence to chase and grab Louis.
A neighbor’s camera was rolling at the time of the robbery and also showed a woman holding a child in the foreground. She said she didn’t see the man.
“I’m still spooked,” she said, “just for the fact that this happened a couple doors down.”
Another neighbor said she saw the whole thing. “I’m thinking he’s getting mangos, but he didn’t get mangos,” she said. “He picked up the dog, jumped this fence and ran as fast as he could. He was out here going to jump in that SUV.”
She said that the subject was a white Hispanic male.
The dog has been with the family for years, and his loss cuts very deep. “He’s like my baby around the house,” said Dorothy Ingram. “He comes and wakes me up in the morning to get up, and yesterday he stayed in the room all day ’cause I was sick.”
Louis is also their link to Bianca. “She left us, but she left us in a loving way,” Dorothy said. “Louis was the only thing that she left us. She had no kids, and we’ve just been attached to him.”
“So, if you have him, please return him,” said Sabrina Singletary, a relative of the Ingrams. “My mama’s sick, OK?”
The family is offering its own $500 reward for information about Louis’ whereabouts. They said they aren’t interested in prosecution; they only want their dog back.
If the SUV caught on camera looks familiar or you have any information on this incident, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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