On Monday, January 30, surveillance cameras captured shocking footage of a California teen attacking a dog owner in a violent puppy-snatching incident.
Surveillance footage, which has since gone viral, shows the teenage girl and Rosa Munoz, the owner of Planet Pet Shop in Bell Gardens, fighting as Munoz tries to get the stolen puppy back.
Trigger warning: Viewer discretion is advised.
In footage of the incident, the suspect can be seen grappling with Munoz, who claimed that the suspect had stolen the dog from her store. The teen, who is wearing red pants, can be seen swinging Munoz around and slamming her on the concrete. The Bell Gardens Police Department reported that the suspect also pepper-sprayed the victim.
Authorities speculated that another woman, who can be seen walking past the fight undettered, may also be part of the puppy theft. Munoz's son, Jesse Robles, said that additional footage showed a third 'passerby' interacting with the suspect. He said:
"We had footage from the corner and you can see them running together, so we didn’t know that until yesterday. Now it all makes sense, how come she didn’t help? She was part of it."
As per CBS, the store owner suffered a broken wrist in the altercation.
The California puppy-snatching assault case could be considered an armed robbery
As per Fox, the incident took place at 12:30 pm, after the teenage suspect snatched the one-month-old Maltipoo puppy from Planet Pet Shop and attempted to flee the scene.
The Bell Garden Police Department issued a statement summarizing the course of events, noting that since the suspect allegedly pepper-sprayed the victim, the crime could technically be considered an armed robbery.
"The victim attempted to take the puppy back from the suspect, however, the suspect proceeded to violently assault the victim and ultimately pepper sprayed the victim in the face."
According to Fox, while the California teen got away with the dog, the Planet Pet owners said that it was returned just a few days later. Jesse Robles said that the dog was left in a shoebox near the store. He said:
"They told me that was my dog outside and when I went to check the shoebox, it was."
Robles added that at the time the dog was stolen, it had been sick. He believed that its condition deteriorated as the teenage thief most likely did not provide the proper food and medicine that the animal required at the time. He added:
"It was really skinny, it was hanging on for dear life."
While the suspect was a minor, meaning that her name had to be withheld by California authorities, Yahoo reported that members of the public provided investigators with tips on her potential identity. While the motivation behind the dognapping remains unknown, California authorities stated that she will most likely be charged with assault and theft.