Have you seen me?
* 80-year-old woman robbed as she walked her 6-year-old Yorkie “Deuce” reward offered
Published by Staff Writer on November 4, 2010
All persons depicted are presumed to be innocent unless proven to be guilty in a court of law.
A reward fund has been set up to help police solve a case in which an elderly Alameda woman’s dog was stolen in a robbery over the weekend.The robbery occurred at about 2 p.m. Saturday when two men approached the 80-year-old woman as she walked her 6-year-old Yorkie “Deuce” near Encinal Avenue and Fountain Street, police said.One of the men simulated a gun and demanded both her purse and her dog. After she refused to hand them over, [you gotta admire her gumption!] one suspect grabbed the dog as the other wrenched the purse from her grip, police Lt. Sean Lynch said. Alameda police have located an image of the suspect vehicle captured at a gas station where the suspects used the victim’s credit card shortly after the robbery. Lynch said the car is a blue 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera with a primer-colored left fender. The California license plate number is XXXXXXX.The stolen dog is equipped with an identifying microchip, police said. Donations to the reward fund can be made payable to “Deuce Reward” and mailed to the Bank of Alameda at 1416 Park St., Alameda, CA, 94501. The account number is 02017507.Anyone with information on the identity of the suspects or is encouraged to contact the Alameda Police Department at (510) 337-8340
>THIS JUST IN!!!<
A surprise happy ending;
Bless the Beasts...
Stolen Yorkie reunited with 80-year-old owner
[I swear that pooch is smiling.]
Paul Chinn / The Chronicle
Deuce, the pilfered pooch from Alameda, has been reunited with his 80-year-old owner.
A Stockton woman who had bought the Yorkshire terrier for $20 saw a news report Wednesday and realized that the dog was the one that robbers tore from Helen Bignone nearly two weeks ago as Bignone was out for a Saturday afternoon walk, said Alameda police Lt. Sean Lynch.
"There are so many good people in the world," Bignone said Thursday. "I'm on top of the world. Life is good, and people are wonderful."
The tipster purchased the 6-year-old male dog from a man and woman on the street in Stockton several days after the Oct. 30 robbery, an incident that generated outrage and a reward for the animal's safe return, Lynch said.
Police and Stockton animal control officers scanned the dog and confirmed his identity via his microchip, Lynch said.
Police Detective Mark Reynolds and Sgt. Pat Wyeth reunited Deuce and Bignone about 7:45 p.m. Wednesday.
"They were both overjoyed to see each other," Lynch said.
Bignone said Deuce was "exhausted" and slept all night.
Police believe the woman who bought Deuce and the two people who sold the dog to her were unaware the animal had been stolen, Lynch said.
"Obviously, they wouldn't have sold it for $20. They would have held on to it and turned it in for the reward," Lynch said.
A suspect in the case, Christopher Perkins, 19, told police that he let the dog go free in a Stockton park Nov. 2, Lynch said.
That was three days after two men robbed Bignone of her purse and the dog near Encinal Avenue and Fountain Street in Alameda.
Police have identified a possible "person of interest" who could be the second suspect, Lynch said. That man is being sought on a parole violation for crimes unrelated to the robbery.
Bignone's credit cards were used at two East Oakland gas stations after the robbery. Her purse was recovered and has been returned to her, Lynch said.
Perkins, who has previous drug convictions, remains in custody.
"We worked very hard on this case," Lynch said. "You don't have to spend more than a few moments talking to Ms. Bignone before you are touched by what a loss this was.
"We deal with dozens of robberies on a regular basis," the lieutenant said. "They're all tragic, and everyone who is robbed suffers danger and a loss. But this one struck a particular chord, not just with the detectives but with the community."
Bignone's granddaughter, Stephanie Bignone, 28, of Alameda said she purchased Deuce from a breeder in 2004 and had to give him up when she moved to an apartment where no dogs were allowed.
Her grandmother suffered from anxiety after being diagnosed with vertigo, but having the dog around calmed her, Stephanie Bignone said.
"He's like a member of the family," she said. "There's never been a day that the dog hasn't been at home with us for the past six years. Having him gone, it was sad, and we're just overjoyed that he's back home where he belongs."
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