Dog Reunited With Owner After Being Snatched From Dearborn Backyard
DEARBORN (WWJ) - Police say a Detroit woman may be facing felony larceny charges after an apparent case of dog-napping in Dearborn.
Lt. Doug Topolski said the incident happened around 10 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Dudley and Dartmouth streets when Donald Krzeminski was outside and noticed something strange
"He saw a woman come out of her car and take his dog out of the backyard, a 30 pound pug named Gus, and he saw her get into the car and drive away. But he was able to get a license plate number," Topolski said.
Police looked up the license plate and traced the woman to a residence in southwest Detroit. When officers went to talk to her on Thursday, they found Gus in the woman's backyard.
Now, 7-year-old Gus is doing fine after a tearful reunion with his family.
"He looks none the worse for wear. He's in good shape. The officers took him back and had a happy reunion with the owner and now everything is fine," Topolski said.
Krzeminski, a 65-year-old General Motors retiree, said Gus was hungry but unharmed when he was returned. He praised the work of police on the case and said he was just thankful to have his best friend back.
So, why did the woman steal Gus?
"We think she was just driving by and saw the dog and decided that she would like to have that dog," Topolski said.
The case is still under investigation, but police could seek felony charges against the woman, who was identified only as a Detroit resident.
Topolski said the incident was unusual, since there aren't a lot of dog-napping cases in Dearborn.
"I can't recall getting any in the last year. We get cases of abandoned pets most often, where someone put a dog or kitten in the dumpster or just letting them go on the street, as opposed to stealing them," he said.
Dearborn Chief of Police Ronald Haddad said reuniting Gus with his owner was a "rewarding moment" for the officers involved.
"We're glad we were able to wrap this case up in a day thanks in large part to the quick thinking of Gus' owner who was able to provide us with the license plate number of the suspect's car. We ask that anyone who sees suspicious vehicles around town obtain license plate numbers whenever possible and I would refer people to the Dearborn Animal Shelter for information on how to ensure that their pets are able to be identified in the event of loss or theft," Haddad said in a statement.
