A crime spree Wednesday evening resulted in two dognapping incidents, two non-lethal shootings, and the theft of a pair of Jordans, according to DC police. MPD announced that they are seeking four suspects in the case.
The spree began around 4:12 PM, police documents say, when a man was walking his one-year-old French Bulldog, Bruno, near his Brightwood home. After seeing a “suspicious vehicle” drive past twice, the victim says four men emerged from the car—one of them brandishing a gun—and demanded his dog, wallet, and phone.
The suspects allegedly sped off with Bruno, reappearing at 4:29 PM to steal another dog outside a CVS in Shaw. According to the police report, the suspects pulled up in a gray Audi to where the victim was standing, got out of the car, and pointed a “black semiautomatic handgun” at him, demanding his iPhone and puppy. The suspects allegedly fled with the puppy, Pablo—an 11-week old brown and black Australian Shepherd with one blue eye and one brown eye.
Ten minutes later, with two pups in tow, the suspects allegedly shot and wounded two men. Officers responded to a report of gunshots in Eckington and the men were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. (MPD has not yet released additional details about this shooting.)
Finally, around 4:48 PM—roughly a half hour since the first puppy was nabbed—the vehicle allegedly approached two people sitting outside in NoMa. According to the police report, one of the suspects brandished a gun and told the victims they would be shot if they didn’t give up their shoes. One of the victims apparently complied, handing over a pair of black and white Jordan 12s and an iPhone, while the other victim was able to run inside.
Police say they have recovered the gray Audi used in the spree, but they’re still on the lookout for the four suspects and two dogs. Washingtonian has reached out to the dog owners for comment.
Abby Sevcik, one of Pablo’s owners, Tweeted last night that she is “devastated” about Pablo’s loss and believes that the dognappers will try to sell her pup online. She’s offering a $5,000 reward for Pablo’s return and encouraging people to scour online marketplaces like Facebook and Craigslist.
Offering $5,000 reward for the safe return of our puppy, no questions asked, can meet wherever. He was taken from us at gunpoint yesterday in DC. We just want him home. #SavePablo pic.twitter.com/GdUR4gzOc2
— Abby Sev (@abbysev) April 14, 2022
