Police are on the lookout for a California dognapper who attacked a woman in front of the pet store she owns and then made off with her Maltipoo puppy.
Rosa Muñoz was pet sitting for her daughter on Monday while working at Planet Pet on Eastern Avenue with the one-month old pooch.
A woman who had come to the store a few times prior walked in, took off her mask and then put it back on, according to Muñoz, who added that she clearly looked at the camera before sighing and returning the mask to her face.
She then went straight to the cage Muñoz’s puppy was in, opened it and ignoring her warnings to not take animals out of their cages, grabbed the Maltipoo.
Muñoz walked over to the unidentified suspect and repeated that the animals can’t be removed from their cages before she started running off with the dog.
Police are on the lookout for a California dognapper (suspect pictured right) who attacked a woman (pictured left) in front of a pet store and then made off with her Maltipoo puppy
‘I tried running after her, but I fell and broke my hand,’ Muñoz told Fox11. ‘Then I got up to go outside to try to see the license plates of the car she was going to get into, but the woman was waiting for me outside of the store, looking at me.’
She then tried to explain that the puppy wasn’t hers, is only six weeks old and suffers from diarrhea.
The suspect responded by spraying Muñoz with pepper spray and hitting her, all caught on surveillance video.
A bystander looked on as the woman hit Muñoz, dragging her to the ground and refusing to stop using pepper spray before running off with the dog.
Two men then came to Muñoz’s aid, and, once she was able to resume breathing and speaking, she then called the police and her son.
A woman who had come to the store a few times prior walked in, took off her mask and then put it back on, according to Muñoz, who added that she clearly looked at the camera before sighing and returning the mask to her face
She then went straight to the cage Muñoz’s puppy was in, opened it and ignoring her warnings to not take animals out of their cages, grabbed the Maltipoo. Muñoz walked over to the unidentified suspect and repeated that the animals can’t be removed from their cages before she started running
Muñoz tried to explain that the puppy wasn’t hers, is only six weeks old and suffers from diarrhea. The suspect responded by spraying Muñoz with pepper spray and hitting her, all caught on surveillance video
Surveillance footage shows the woman hit Muñoz, dragging her to the ground and refusing to stop using pepper spray before running off with the dog
Muñoz has run Pet Planet since 2001 and has never had an issue with any of the customers.
‘All of the people that come here (to the pet store) come in all the time, and I know them and they’re my clients.
‘Now when a new person comes in, I just stand there like ‘What is going to happen?’ I don’t know what to do,’ she said.
She will have to wear a cast for a month and needed additional treatment on her eyes.
The suspect ran north on Eastern Avenue toward Loveland Street, according to authorities.
Muñoz has run Planet Pet since 2001 and has never had an issue with any of the customers
Muñoz’s son Jesse Robles (pictured) plans to help her out at the store to make sure this doesn’t happen again
They believe the suspect to be between 18-25, last seen wearing a black t-shirt with red and black plaid pajama pants, and has auburn hair.
Muñoz’s son Jesse Robles plans to help her out at the store to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
‘I came right away and sure enough, she was hurt. I was angry and now I have to sacrifice my job to come here and help her out,’ said Robles.
