STUDIO CITY (CNS) – A man who allegedly stole two French bulldogs from their pregnant owner at gunpoint in Studio City in December has been arrested, authorities said today.
Sammeiso Lewis, 27, of Las Vegas was taken into custody in Glendale on Thursday, and he was booked on suspicion of robbery, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Lewis has been charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office with one count of robbery, the LAPD reported.
The crime occurred about 10 a.m. on Dec. 9, 2022, in the 4100 block of Kraft Avenue, police said.
“A nine-month pregnant woman was walking her two French Bulldogs … when she was approached by an armed male suspect,” police said in a statement.
“The suspect pointed a pistol at the victim and took both French bulldogs. The suspect fled the area with the dogs in a gray SUV.”
The owner, Cindy Nelson, told reporters what happened.
“A man jumped out of the car with a gun in his hand and held it in front of my face and grabbed my dogs. I was screaming ‘please, no,”’ Nelson said. “It happened all so fast. And he just got in the car carrying them in the air and left.”
ABC7 reported that the following day at about 12:20 a.m., the dogs — 7-year-old Gizmo and 9-month-old Milo — were given to an unknown woman walking her dogs in the Hollywood area. According to the station, she called the number on the dog tags and said she had the pets, which were then returned to Nelson.
“Who steals dogs from a nine-month-pregnant woman?” Nelson asked reporters after Gizmo and Milo were returned.
French bulldogs are considered high-value dogs and are frequently
targets of thieves.
Famously, in 2021, a man walking singer-musician Lady Gaga’s French bulldogs was shot by culprits who made off with two of the animals, which were later recovered.