Weeks after the robbery at gunpoint of two French bulldogs from a pregnant woman in a Studio City neighborhood, authorities say they have solved the case in part by following clues that led them to a dating website.
The suspect in the frightening encounter, 27-year-old Sammeiso Lewis of Las Vegas, was arrested on Jan. 26, the Los Angeles Police Department announced Monday.
The robbery happened in December when owner Cindy Nelson, who was nine months pregnant at the time, was walking her 7 and 9-year-old French bulldogs in the 4100 block of Kraft Avenue at around 10 a.m. Lewis approached the woman and stole her dogs at gunpoint.
“Our victim was in fear for her life and begged the suspect not to hurt her,” said Ahmed Mohammadi, the LAPD area commanding officer for North Hollywood. “She handed the two leashes over to the suspect.”
Later that evening, Nelson got a call from a blocked phone number, officials said. The caller was Lewis, who wanted $1,000 for the safe return of the bulldogs, authorities said. Lewis was using a phone that belonged to a man he had met on a dating website. The witness from the dating website overheard Lewis discussing the dogs, and provided his description and his profile on the dating application to the LAPD.
Ten hours later, when the ransom was not received, Lewis gave the dogs to a passerby in Hollywood who did not know who Lewis or the dogs were. The good Samaritan called the phone number on the dogs’ tags and returned them to Nelson and her family.
Authorities spent several weeks tracking down the suspect through search warrants and witness interviews. Lewis’ identity was confirmed in late January after connecting him to a stolen vehicle in Glendale.
Detectives from the LAPD North Hollywood Division on Monday also offered safety tips for pet owners, including:
- Stay in well-lit, public areas when walking pets.
- Microchip your pets or attach a GPS device to them.
- Do not leave pets unattended in public spaces.
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