Five Yorkshire terriers dognapped at gunpoint

[kellyhound]

Five Yorkshire terriers, including four puppies offered for sale, were dognapped at gunpoint from a Koreatown home.

The home-invasion robbery was captured on video by the family's home security system.

Detectives released the tapein hopes of apprehending the two robbers, who got away with puppies valued at $2,500 each and the family's grown Yorkie, Tang-ja, said Lt. Paul Vernon of the Los Angeles Police Department.

"The family had advertised the Yorkshire terriers in a newspaper," Vernon said. "It appears the suspects answered the ad, knowing the value of the puppies."

Shortly before 10 p.m. Feb. 23, the two men came to the family's home on Manhattan Place. When a woman opened the door, one of the men pointed a handgun at her and the robbers forced their way into the home.

Vernon said that once inside, the men ordered the family to lie on the floor while one robber grabbed the dogs.

"The video shows them walking up, forcing their way into the home, forcing the family onto the floor and then chasing the dogs to round them up," Vernon said.

He said the robbers placed all five dogs in a black bag and then left in a silver car. No one was injured in the robbery, Vernon said, but the family is particularly upset about the loss of Tang-ja, who had been their pet for three years.

"This robbery is a good lesson to residents that soliciting buyers to one's home can be a risky practice," Vernon said.



UPDATE







Four purebred Yorkshire terriers stolen at gunpoint during a home invasion robbery were returned to their owners after a man turned himself in to police.

Three puppies, valued at $2,500 each, and a full-grown family pet named Tan-ja were reunited with their owners at the Wilshire Division police station March 3 night.

One puppy remained missing, police said.

Family members hugged and kissed the panting pups and left the police station with the dogs in their arms.

The animals were recovered after Ryan Betton, 19, of Los Angeles, surrendered to police on March 2 night, Detective Luis Corona said.

He was booked for investigation of residential robbery, police said.

A videotape of the robbery that aired on local television brought in many tips, including telephone calls that sent police to the home of Betton's father, Corona said.

"When the son came home, he confronted the son and that led to the son being brought in to the station to turn himself in," Corona said.

A second man was being sought.

The puppies had been advertised for sale in a newspaper and two men posing as buyers made an appointment to see them on Feb. 23. When a family member opened the door, one of the men pulled a gun. The men ordered the family of four to lie on the living room floor.

A home surveillance camera caught the scene as one man held a gun and the other chased after the puppies with a plastic garbage bag as they scampered around the room and underneath a coffee table.

He snatched one of the dogs from a woman's hands.

No one was injured.

Corona said before they were returned, the dogs were found in several places, including Long Beach.

Authorities believe the robbers didn't intend to sell the dogs but probably wanted to give them away as gifts, Corona said.

An LAPD official did not know if Betton had legal representation.


Case Updates

A second suspect turned himself in Sunday, more than a week after four purebred Yorkshire terrier puppies were stolen at gunpoint during a home invasion robbery in Koreatown.

Troy Cabral, 23, turned himself in around 10 a.m. and was booked for investigation of residential robbery, said Officer Mike Lopez, an LAPD spokesman. He was released hours later after posting $100,000 bail, Lopez said.

Three puppies, valued at $2,500 each, and a full-grown family pet named Tan-ja were reunited with their owners about 8:30 p.m. at the Wilshire Division police station. One puppy remained missing, police said.

The animals were recovered after another suspect, 19-year-old Ryan Betton, surrendered on Friday and was booked for investigation of residential robbery. Betton posted $100,000 bail and was released early Saturday, Lopez said.

The puppies had been advertised for sale in a newspaper and two men posing as buyers made an appointment to see them. They went to a home in the city's Koreatown section on Feb. 23.

When a woman opened the door, one of the men pulled a gun. The men came in and ordered the family of four to lie on the living room floor.

A home surveillance camera caught the scene as one man held a gun and the other chased after the puppies with a plastic garbage bag as they scampered around the room and underneath a coffee table.

He snatched one of the dogs from a woman's hands.

No one was injured.

LAPD Detective Luis Corona said before they were returned, the dogs were found in several places, including Long Beach.

Authorities believe the robbers didn't intend to sell the dogs but probably wanted to give them away as gifts, police have said.

Both men are scheduled for an April 4 court appearance, Lopez said. He didn't know if the men had retained attorneys or would request public defenders at their first court date.

[Number5ive]

[zaheer muniba]

remember seeing this on news poor fluffums

[Robert440]

more info.....http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/11134/CA/US/

[minka1]

awww poor little things. they knew something bad was up, trying to get away and stuff :(

[AmericanIllusions]

I guess I've seen it all now

[Faline]

So glad they were found and reunited

[BrownRock]

That sucks. Poor doggies.
My brother uses Craigslist sometimes to sell expensive items. I tell him to always bring back up just in case. There was a guy here in San Diego who was robbed of his cash. He answered an ad on Craigslist for an Ipad. Thing is there never was any ipad for sale. They set him up and killed him for his cash.

[Route66]

I wonder how much time they got for thier little escapade.