Dogs Kidnapped at Gunpoint Recovered

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/167437/dogs_kidnapped_at_gunpoint_recovered.html




A videotape from a home surveillance system was key in solving the case of the Yorkshire Terriers stolen at gunpoint. Four purebred puppies and an adult pet were stolen by intruders who held the owners at gunpoint while catching the dogs and putting them in a plastic bag. The videotape of the crime was played on multiple television stations, leading to tips that cracked the Los Angeles case.

Four of the five purebred Yorkshire Terriers, that had been stolen at gunpoint more than a week ago have been returned. The fifth dog has not been recovered yet. The suspect turned himself in to police.

The dogs had been stolen at gunpoint during a home invasion. Three puppies, valued at $2,500 each, along with a full grown family pet, were recovered and returned to their owners at the Wilshire Division police station on Saturday night. One puppy remained missing, according to police, as reported by Fox News.

Family members hugged their puppies and left the police station with the dogs in their arms.

Yorkshire Terriers are small dogs with long hair. The breed is one of the most popular AKC breeds in America.

Fox News reported that Detective Luis Corona said that the dogs were recovered after Ryan Belton, 19, of Los Angeles, surrendered to police Friday night.. Ryan Belton was booked for investigation of residential robbery.

The gunpoint dog napping had been captured on a home surveillance system, that taped the incident. The videotape of the robbery was shown on news media. The videotape of the robbery that aired on local television resulted in many tips being called into police. As a result of these tips, police went to the home of Belton's father, Detective Corona said. "When the son came home, he confronted the son and that led to the son being brought in to the station to turn himself in."

A second man was being sought.

The puppies had been advertised for sale in a newspaper. Two men posing as buyers made an appointment to see them on February 23. When a female family member opened the door, one of the men pulled a hand gun. The men ordered the family of four to lie on the floor in the living room. A home surveillance camera recorded the robbery scene as on man held a gun and the other man chased after the puppies with a plastic bag as they scampered around the room. He snatched one of the dogs from a woman's hands.

After grabbing the four puppies and the family dog and stuffing them in the plastic bag, the man and his partner fled in a silver car, according to police.