A Las Vegas man has been detained for allegedly robbing a pregnant LA lady of her two French bulldogs as she was holding a gun to her head and attempting to extort her using the phone of a man he met online.
According to the LA Daily News, Sammeiso Lewis, 27, was detained on January 26 and charged with robbery in connection with the ridiculous canine incident that occurred on December 9 in Studio City.
Around 10 a.m., while Cindy Nelson was walking her 7- and 9-year-old dogs on Kraft Avenue, Lewis reportedly took them at gunpoint. Nelson was nine months pregnant.
According to the newspaper, LAPD commanding officer for North Hollywood Ahmed Mohammadi stated that the victim “was in fear for her life and begged the suspect not to hurt her.”
He said, “She gave the suspect the two leashes.”
Using the phone of a man he met online for dating, Lewis allegedly sought to extort Nelson later and demanded $1000 for the return of the dogs.
However, it is claimed that the second man overheard the chat and informed the authorities about the suspect and the dating app where they met.
According to Detective Noah Stone, after the alleged dog-kipper didn’t collect his ransom, he gave the dogs to a woman he didn’t know and who wasn’t a part of the crime.
After that, she returned the animals to the victim by calling her at the number on the dog tags.
According to NBC Los Angeles, witnesses also recorded the incident on cellphone video and gave police a description of the suspect’s car.
Lewis was apprehended in a stolen car in Glendale after officers followed him there, according to police.
The defendant had three outstanding felony warrants and has a criminal past spanning numerous states, largely involving identity theft, according to police.
According to KTLA, he was being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Chinatown on a $180,000 bail.
Due of their worth, French bulldogs have been a popular target for dognappers.
In 2021, a group of men who shot Lady Gaga’s dog walker took her French bulldogs. Later, the dogs were found.
The shooter, who received a 21-year prison term, was one of three men and two accomplices who took part in the crime.
»Las Vegas man arrested for allegedly stealing pregnant woman’s 2 French bulldogs at gunpoint«