DENVER—A man allegedly staged a seizure to divert staff members while an accomplice snatched the puppies from a pen and fled, according to investigators, while thieves took two expensive bulldogs from a Colorado pet shop.
The theft took place on Sunday and was caught on camera.
According to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, three males entered a suburban Denver pet business a short while apart, strolled about, and inquired about the puppies, which retail for $4,299 apiece. One of the other males removed the top off the pen containing the puppies, stole two, and fled the store while a 37-year-old man seemed to be having a seizure. According to the sheriff’s office, the man dropped the puppies as an employee attempted to attack him, but he was able to pick them up again and flee with another man.
According to the sheriff’s office, they got into a gold Cadillac Escalade that drove up outside the store with tinted windows and no license plates.
The man who reportedly staged a seizure was taken into custody on accusations of drug possession, theft, and conspiracy to conduct a felony. The getaway driver and the other two men are being sought by investigators.
According to the sheriff’s office, a woman who had paid $1,500 for one of the puppies from a street vendor later returned it after realizing it resembled the canines in pictures from the news reports about the theft.
The Associated Press
