MIAMI (WSVN) - A South Florida woman is asking the men who stole her Yorkie and purse at a gas station to return her beloved pet.
Carmen Gamarra said she doesn’t care about the money that was inside the purse that, she said, was taken from her car at the Shell station at the intersection of Northeast Second Avenue and 20th Street in Miami, Sunday afternoon.
The distraught pet owner said she just wants her dog back.
“Please bring her home. I need her more than anything in the world,” said Gamarra. “I am desperate because she is all I have.”
Gamarra said she feels like she’s lost a child.
“I don’t sleep. I haven’t gone to my house; I don’t wanna go home,” she said. “Without her, I don’t know what to do.”
Valentina, Gamarra’s teacup Yorkie, was inside her owner’s car when a white Infiniti pulled up next to it.
Surveillance video captured Gamarra pumping gas while the Infiniti slowly backed up. A few minutes later, a man is seen getting out of the vehicle and sneaking over to the victim’s car.
The footage showed the subject opening the driver’s side door of Gamarra’s car, grabbing her purse and another bag and quickly taking off.
Gamarra said the other bag was a carrier that had Valentina inside.
“The car [peeled off]. I heard the tires squealing. I went to my door and nobody was there,” she said. “My dog was gone. My purse was gone.”
Surveillance video showed the moment Gamarra realizes what happened and panics.
“I feel so guilty because it took five seconds, and in five seconds, I did this,” she said. “I didn’t even see anyone leaving. I didn’t see a man standing. He was crawling.”
Gamarra is now desperate to get Valentina back and is offering a $3,500 reward for anyone who returns her.
“She’s going to be 5 years old on February 1, 2019, and this is Christmastime, and I believe in miracles,” she said. “I believe in our community. I need you to help me, please, to find my Valentina.”
If you’ve seen that Yorkie or have any information on the two men believed to be involved, 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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