A Las Vegas man has been arrested for allegedly stealing two French bulldogs from a pregnant LA woman at gunpoint and using the phone of a man he met on a dating website to extort money from her. Is.
Samiso Lewis, 27, was arrested on Jan. 26 and charged with the robbery at Kakamee Canine Keeper, which occurred on Dec. 9 in Studio City. The LA Daily News reported..
Cindy Nelson, who was nine months pregnant, was walking her 7- and 9-year-old pooches on Craft Avenue around 10 a.m. when Lewis allegedly stole them at gunpoint.
“Our victim was in fear for her life and pleaded with the suspect not to hurt her,” North Hollywood LAPD Commanding Officer Ahmad Mohammadi said, according to the newspaper.
“He handed over two straps to the accused,” he said.
Lewis later tried to get Nelson to use the phone of a man he met on a dating website and demand $1,000 for the safe return of the dogs, police said.
But the other man allegedly overheard the conversation and alerted police to the suspect and the dating app where they connected.
Meanwhile, when Dagniper allegedly didn’t receive the ransom, he turned the Bulldogs over to a woman he didn’t know and who wasn’t involved in the crime, Detective Noah Stone said.
He then called the victim using the number on the dog’s tag and the animal was returned to him.
Eyewitnesses also captured the robbery incident on the cell phone video provided to the police along with the vehicle description of the accused. NBC Los Angeles reported..
Police tracked Lewis to Glendale, where he was arrested in a stolen vehicle.
Police added that the suspect has a criminal history in several states, mostly related to identity theft, and had three outstanding felony warrants.
He was being held on $180,000 bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Chinatown. According to KTLA.
French bulldogs have become a common target for dogpers because of their value.
In 2021, Lady Gaga’s French bulldog was stolen by a group of men who shot her dog walker. The dogs were later recovered.
Three men and two accomplices were involved in the crime, including the gunman, who was sentenced to 21 years behind bars.
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