A local dog owner and his four-legged friend were reunited earlier this week by the Marana Police Department (MPD). The officers noticed the missing dog while working to solve a different case.
Marana police officers were looking for a “porch pirate”, a person who had been caught on a porch camera stealing packages from Marana-area homes. MPD released images of the man and his vehicle to the media and were quickly inundated with information about the suspect from both citizens and other law enforcement agencies.
“We had multiple tips,” said Detective James Jolly.
Officers had gone to the suspect’s address and sat surveillance until they saw the suspect and another person leave in a vehicle matching the one used in the thefts. The vehicle fled the scene. The police officers chose not to give chase, and instead interviewed the home owner.
During the interview, they noticed a white bulldog running freely around the house, and when officers tried to return to their vehicle the dog attempted to go with them. When they asked the homeowner about the dog, she informed them that it “just got here yesterday.”
Officer Kevin Trapp remembered that a white bulldog had been reported stolen from a Marana-area backyard the day before, and he reviewed the case report to make sure that the dog they were seeing matched the missing dog. He and Detective Jose De Torre were able to photograph the dog and confirm with the owner that it was indeed the missing dog.
The officers reunited the dog with his owner in a happy reunion.
“He was very happy,” Jolly said. “He said the dog was like his son.”
The dog was also very happy to be back with his family, though we are sure he enjoyed his ride with the Marana police officers as well.
The suspect in the thefts was apprehended on Wednesday night by the Tucson Police Department’s Team 1 Bravo Unit in their jurisdiction.
Detective James Jolly, Detective De La Torre, and Officer Trapp were responsible for identifying and catching the thief, reuniting the lost dog with his family, and doing so without anyone being hurt.
Marana Police Department encourages residents to have someone at home when they are expecting packages, and if that is not possible to try and use post office boxes whenever possible. Doorbell and porch security cameras can be a great way to identify “porch pirates.”
Reporting all crimes, no matter how small, can be a great way to discover a pattern of criminal behavior. MPD would also like to remind people to lock their homes and to remove all valuable and lock their vehicles. Getting to know your neighbors and helping to look after them and their property is also a great way to keep a neighborhood safe.
