An Encinitas lady and her beloved golden retriever had been reunited Sunday, three weeks after a supply driver who dropped off an Amazon package deal at her home allegedly stole the canine, officers mentioned.
Sheriff’s officers mentioned the driving force, a 36-year-old lady, was arrested and booked into jail Saturday.
Finn, an 18-month-old golden retriever, vanished from his dwelling on Hollyridge Drive on Oct. 9. Denise Reppenhagen mentioned her pup disappeared after her daughter got here dwelling, walked in by the storage and closed the storage door with out realizing Finn was exterior.
Reppenhagen initially thought her canine was misplaced.
She looked for Finn, contacted neighbors and animal shelters, handed out flyers and posted about her lacking pet on social media.
Final Monday, Reppenhagen obtained a name from a tipster who advised her a good friend witnessed an Amazon supply driver take Finn together with her. When Reppenhagen checked her Amazon order historical past, she realized she obtained a package deal delivered the morning Finn disappeared.
When she checked the photograph she was despatched confirming the supply, she noticed her canine within the background.
On Wednesday, a neighbor reviewed surveillance digicam video recorded the day Finn vanished. The footage exhibits a lady delivering packages within the neighborhood, together with at Reppenhagen’s dwelling.
The video additionally exhibits the lady strolling to her automotive with Finn and driving away with him, sheriff’s Lt. Christopher Lawrence confirmed.
“My coronary heart sank,” Reppenhagen mentioned. “I couldn’t breathe.”
She mentioned she frightened about whether or not Finn was protected.
Reppenhagen reported the dognapping to the Sheriff’s Division and contacted a number of native TV stations, which reported on the case and aired the surveillance video.
The footage generated a tip from somebody who acknowledged the lady within the video and known as Reppenhagen, who relayed the knowledge to the Sheriff’s Division.
On Saturday, detectives served a search warrant on the lady’s dwelling in San Diego. Lawrence mentioned the lady admitted she took Finn.
Nonetheless, the canine wasn’t on the dwelling, Lawrence mentioned.
The lady mentioned she tried to present the canine to a good friend after which to her mom, however neither of them wished him, so Finn ended up in an animal shelter in El Centro, Lawrence mentioned.
The lady was arrested on suspicion of grand theft and possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, in keeping with jail information.
Lawrence mentioned the motive for the crime was unclear.
After the arrest, the seek for Finn continued. He was not on the animal shelter, which had turned him over to a Labrador rescue group in San Diego.
Detectives and Reppenhagen discovered Finn was staying with a foster household whereas awaiting adoption. Detectives organized for the household to deliver the canine to a pet retailer in San Diego on Sunday.
Hours after the reunion, Reppenhagen mentioned she couldn’t consider Finn was again dwelling.
“It was a second I actually didn’t know if it was going to occur,” she mentioned. “I used to be over the moon with pleasure.”
Reppenhagen took to the social networking web site NextDoor to precise gratitude to the Sheriff’s Division and thank her neighbors for his or her help.
“I misplaced hope many occasions. After which, one in all you’d name or textual content or e mail and elevate me again up,” she mentioned.
She mentioned Finn was in good well being and “settling in fantastically.”
Lawrence thanked the general public and information media for his or her assist.
In an announcement to NBC 7 San Diego, Amazon beforehand mentioned the driving force was suspended pending an investigation.
Reppenhagen mentioned she was advised the driving force works for Amazon Flex, a program wherein impartial drivers or contractors ship Amazon orders utilizing their private autos.
