A week after announcing an arrest in the theft of two French bulldogs from a pregnant woman in Studio City, Los Angeles police Feb. 8 offered tips for pet owners to avoid becoming a victim of animal thefts.
Police also said the suspect in the Studio City theft—Sammeiso Lewis, 27, of Las Vegas—attempted to extort money from the dogs’ owner, using the phone of a man he met on a dating website. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a witness from the website overheard Lewis talking about the dogs and was able to provide investigators with a description and his dating application.
Lewis was arrested Jan. 28 in Glendale and was subsequently charged with robbery.
He is accused of stealing the dogs around 10 a.m. Dec. 9 in the 4100 block of Kraft Avenue. Police said the dogs’ owner, who was nine months pregnant, was walking the dogs when a suspect pointed a gun at her and took the animals, fleeing in a gray SUV.
The dogs were returned the next day. Somebody gave the dogs to a woman who was walking her dogs in the Hollywood area early that morning. That woman called the number on the tags and was able to return them to their owner.
- Stay visible in public settings with significant light while walking your dog
- Utilize dog chips with GPS for your dogs
- Don’t leave dogs unattended in public
- Install security cameras around your residence to monitor your pets and intruders
- Keep current photos of your dog