Witnesses report the one-year-old dog began following the man’s vehicle, and the driver stopped to scoop it up off the road, officials said. He then drove away with the dog in the backseat, a witness said. — Photo by Graham Holtshausen on Unsplash
An Amazon delivery man picked up a woman’s US$4,000 (RM18,894) French bulldog and drove off with it after the friendly pup began following him, Florida investigators say.
It was reported Dec 23 in Spring Hill and detectives report it took nearly a month to track the dog down at a home 50 miles south in Tampa, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said in a Jan 25 news release.
“The dog’s owner advised deputies she let her French bulldog, Kali, outside around 9.15am ... A short time later she noticed Kali had escaped from the home’s fenced-in backyard,” the sheriff’s office said.
“The dog’s owner was able to locate a neighbour who advised he observed Kali walk up to a man ... wearing an Amazon uniform. He said the man had just delivered a package to an address on Copper Hill Drive.”
Witnesses report the one-year-old dog began following the man’s vehicle, and the driver stopped to scoop it up off the road, officials said. He then drove away with the dog in the backseat, a witness said.
Detectives were able to identify the suspect on Jan 16 and traced him to a home in Tampa.
“During the interview, (he) told detectives he took the dog and that she was still in his possession,” officials said.
“Kali was recovered from a nearby residence and returned to her owner later that day.”
Investigators have not released details of a motive.
The 34-year-old man has been charged with grand theft and was released from the Hillsborough County jail after posting a US$5,000 (RM23,617) bond, officials said. – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service
