Armed suspects take French bulldog from Castro Valley family, return to steal car
Armed thieves abduct French bulldog, hours later take owner's car
A group of armed thieves stole a French bulldog in Castro Valley from a mother and grandmother as well as a purse from one of the women. Hours later, the thieves struck again at the victim's house by stealing a Mercedes from the driveway.
CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. - A French bulldog was snatched at gunpoint from a grandmother and her daughter walking in Castro Valley on Saturday, according to police.
The family was walking along Norbridge Road at around 5:30 p.m. when a black KIA pulled in front of them. Multiple suspects with guns got out and took the French bulldog, Tito, Alameda County Sheriff's Office said.
The suspects allegedly got away with the mother's purse as well, which contained her wallet and keys.
Authorities said the suspects returned to the victim’s Castro Valley home at about 9:45 p.m., and stole the Mercedes-Benz from her driveway.
A grandson and son of the victims named Joshua, spoke with KTVU about the beloved pet and the crime against his relatives.
"We treat him like part of our family. He has his own Instagram, we take him everywhere we go. We treat him like a kid. He has his own little personality," he said.
He said his mother and grandmother tried to prevent the abduction.
Joshua's mom grabbed Tito and his grandmother hit the men with her cane.
"My grandma had a walking stick with her and she was trying to hit them with it," said Joshua.
He said his mom finally let go of the dog when she saw one of the men point a gun at his grandmother’s head.
"They took my mom’s purse, they took my mom’s car. Those are replaceable things," said Joshua. "A dog - a family member- that is not replaceable. That is our pet, that is our comfort, like he’s a part of our family."
Police searched the area and obtained video footage. They said the KIA is also a reported stolen vehicle from the Oakland Police Department which has been involved in several armed robberies.
Detectives are working to identify the suspects and safely recover Tito back to the family.
French bulldogs have been a target recently in the Bay Area. On Thursday, another was stolen at gunpoint in Oakland.