SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Surveillance video captured the moment a man stole a puppy valued at $1,000 from a home in Southwest Miami-Dade, hours after having responded to a Craigslist posting about the animal.
The dog’s owner, who spoke with 7News about the Feb. 27 theft on Wednesday, said the situation is heartbreaking.
“It was a feeling I don’t want to feel in my life again,” said Danaisy Rodriguez through a translator. “It was very sad.”
According to Miami-Dade Police, the security footage shows the man, wearing a gray shirt and beige shorts, as he approached the home along Southwest 39th Street, near 75th Avenue, Feb. 27.
Rodriguez said the man had responded to the Craigslist ad and had expressed interest in buying the white American bulldog.
Crystal-clear surveillance video shows the subject speaking with the puppy’s owner, at around 10:30 p.m.
Shortly after seeing the dog, Rodriguez said, the man said he left to go to the bank but never came back.
The owner said she went to bed.
A few hours later, she woke up and realized the puppy was gone. She checked the surveillance video and immediately recognized who the crook was.
“We gave him the address, and he came by that day and returned with the same clothes and the same shoes. It was the same person,” she said.
The thief could be seen jumping the fence of the home and running past several barking dogs before grabbing a covered crate where the bulldog puppy was fast asleep.
Police said the man then hoisted the crate over the fence, where an awaiting accomplice grabbed it. He then jumped back over the fence and fled the scene.
Shaken up and fearing for her loved ones’ safety, the owner called police.
She said she is now concerned for the well-being of her puppy. “What we really wish is they arrest this person, because they are just going to keep causing damage,” she said.
If you have any information on this theft, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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