At least four suspects worked together to steal two bulldog puppies from a pet store in Colorado, with one of the alleged assailants faking a seizure to create a distraction, according to authorities.
Surveillance footage released by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office shows the moment one of the suspects dropped to the floor while imitating a medical episode.
In the video, employees and customers are tending to the man while another suspect grabs the puppies as an employee repeatedly shouts, “Stop!” Two employees are knocked to the ground as they try to save the animals.
The suspect then trips and drops both puppies before grabbing them again and running out of the store.
Authorities said they tracked down one of the suspects, as well as one of the puppies. The puppy was returned with staff at the Perfect Pets pet store on Tuesday.
Photos shared by the sheriff's office show the heartwarming reunion.
The sheriff's office identified the suspect as 37-year-old Timothy Davis, adding that he was arrested at the store the day of the incident.
“He’s facing charges of conspiracy to commit a felony, theft, and drug possession,” the sheriff's office said in a statement. “Deputies are still searching for the other three suspects.”
But one of the puppies is yet to be found — and three suspects are still unaccounted for.
The sheriff's department described the remaining suspects, noting that one is a Black male who was wearing a large black coat and sweatpants.
The other is a white or Hispanic male who was wearing a blue and white beanie-style hat and had brown hair, while the third — and unidentified suspect — was the driver of the Cadillac.
Authorities said investigators are also searching for the gold Cadillac Escalade, which “had no license plates and heavily tinted windows.”
The sheriff's office said the theft occurred Sunday around 1:30 p.m. Deputies said three males walked into the pet store a few minutes apart before they started talking to employees.
The suspects asked questions about two bulldog puppies that were priced at $4,299 each and were kept in a locked pen near the back of the store, according to authorities.
“One of the men allegedly faked a seizure to distract the employees, while another suspect ran over to the pen, pulled the top off and grabbed both the puppies,” the sheriff's office said. “He then ran toward the front door. An employee tried to tackle him, and he fell to the ground dropping the puppies. He managed to get up, pick up the two puppies and run out the front door with another male. A gold Cadillac Escalade then pulled up to the front of the store, both suspects got inside the vehicle, and it took off. There is no description of a fourth suspect who was driving the Cadillac, who we believe is a female.”
The sheriff's office urged anyone who has information about the suspects and/or the missing puppy to call the Investigations Tipline at 720-874-8477.
