Jersey City Family Says Woman Stole Their Dog, Claimed It Was Her Own
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A beloved dog was stolen from a Jersey City family, and the owner says the woman who took their pet went a long way to try to cover up the crime.
When Miguelina Luciano's 1-year-old Frenchie, Luna, wandered out of her fenced-in yard Monday, she panicked, thinking about danger on the road and never assuming a person would stoop so low.
"When we saw that, I was like, oh my god, this is serious. It just went to the next level," she told CBS2's Christina Fan.
While frantically searching for their pet, the family learned from neighbors a woman had chased Luna into a nearby restaurant. A surveillance photo shows her inside with the pup under her arm.
Witnesses told the family the woman claimed the dog was her own, even going as far as giving her a fake name.
"I was like, I hope I don't see this girl because it was so many things going through my head," Luciano said.
The family has filed a police report and say they've had Luna since she was born. Their phones are filled with pictures and happy memories of her and 4-year-old Rose. The two companions were supposed to grow up together.
"It was completely heartbreaking that somebody just claimed that it was their dog in the first place when it never should be," family member Emily Mendoza said.
"She's chipped. She has a flag on her," Luciano said.
The family has put up fliers all over town.
They're so desperate to get Luna back, they are offering an reward and say they will accept her return, no questions asked.
"I don't know what it is that this lady is thinking. Like, what is her plan? Like, is she trying to keep the dog? Like, is she trying to sell the dog?" Luciano said.
They say to the dognapper, Luna is just a pet, but to them, she is everything.
