Two teenagers are facing charges after stealing a Labrador puppy and selling it to another family for $150.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Mitchell Rusk, 17, of Golden Gate Estates and Johnny Lee Moreno, 19, of East Naples, were arrested on Thursday, May 7. The 3-month-old puppy, went missing on Sunday, May 3.
NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral & Naples, Florida
When Ebony’s owners noticed that their dog was missing, they placed lost dog posters around Everglades City. They didn’t think that the dog was stolen, they thought that she ran away from their front yard along on Camellia Street East.
Jeanna Lopez, Ebony’s owner, said that she lives in a small community, so everyone knows whose dog it is.
The two men and the dog were seen at the parking lot of a gas station on Collier Boulevard. One of the gas station workers saw them and told the owners.
Investigators showed up at the gas station to watch the security footage. Fortunately, they successfully identified the suspects based on their physical descriptions.
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On Thursday, deputies spoke with Rusk who said he wanted to return the dog back. However, they later found out that it was Moreno who sold the dog to a family for $150. Ebony was originally bought for $1,000 from a breeder.
At first, the puppy’s new family was skeptical because of the low price. When they took the puppy to the vet, they found out that it was already microchipped.
The new family saw on Facebook that the original owner was missing a black Labrador puppy, and reached out to the owner and gave the puppy back.
The mom from the new family contacted Lopez about the puppy. Both of them were emotional and crying. Lopez was so thankful, she even offered to give them the $150 back. The thieves didn’t know that the puppy was full-blooded, thus the low price.
The police found Moreno at his mother’s house on Thursday. However, he said that he thought the puppy was actually a stray.
Both Rusk and Moreno were arrested and are now facing grand theft charges.
