Police are looking for a California dognapper who assaulted a woman outside the pet store she owns and then made off with her Maltipoo puppy.
Rosa Muñoz was pet sitting for her daughter Monday while she worked with the month-old pooch at Planet Pet on Eastern Avenue.
A woman who had come to the store a few times before walked in, took off her mask and then put it back on, according to Muñoz, who added that she looked clearly at the camera before sighing and putting the mask back on put on her face.
She then went straight to the cage that Muñoz’ pup was in, opened it, ignoring their warnings not to take animals out of their cages, and grabbed the Maltipoo.
Muñoz approached the unidentified suspect and reiterated that the animals could not be removed from their cages before she ran off with the dog.
Police are looking for a California dognapper (suspect pictured right) who assaulted a woman (pictured left) outside a pet store and then made off with her Maltipoo puppy
“I tried to run after her but I fell and broke my hand,” Muñoz told Fox11. “Then I got up to go outside and try to see the number plates of the car she was trying to get into, but the woman was waiting for me outside the store and looked at me.”
She then tried to explain that the puppy was not hers, was only six weeks old and had diarrhea.
The suspect responded by pepper spraying Muñoz and beating her, all of which was captured on surveillance video.
A bystander watched as the woman punched Muñoz, dragged her to the ground and refused to stop using the pepper spray before running away with the dog.
Two men then came to Muñoz’s aid, and when she could breathe and speak again, she called the police and her son.
A woman who had come to the store a few times before walked in, took off her mask and then put it back on, according to Muñoz, who added that she looked clearly at the camera before sighing and putting the mask back on put on her face
She then went straight to the cage that Muñoz’ pup was in, opened it, ignoring their warnings not to take animals out of their cages, and grabbed the Maltipoo. Muñoz approached the unidentified suspect and reiterated that the animals could not be removed from their cages before she ran
Muñoz tried to explain that the puppy was not hers, was only six weeks old and had diarrhea. The suspect responded by pepper spraying Muñoz and beating her, all of which was captured on surveillance video
Surveillance footage shows the woman hitting Muñoz, dragging her to the ground and refusing to stop using the pepper spray before running off with the dog
Muñoz has been running Pet Planet since 2001 and has never had any problems with any of their customers.
“All the people that come here (to the pet store) come all the time, and I know them and they’re my customers.
‘Now when a new person walks in, I just stand there and I’m like, ‘What’s going to happen?’ I don’t know what to do,’ she said.
She will be in a cast for a month and will need additional treatment for her eyes.
The suspect ran north on Eastern Avenue towards Loveland Street, according to authorities.
Muñoz has managed Planet Pet since 2001 and has never had any problems with any of their customers
Muñoz’s son Jesse Robles (pictured) plans to help her around the store to make sure this doesn’t happen again
They believe the suspect is between 18 and 25 years old, was last seen wearing a black T-shirt with red and black plaid pajama bottoms and has auburn hair.
Muñoz’s son, Jesse Robles, plans to help her at the store to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.
“I came straight away and sure enough she was hurt. I was angry and now I have to sacrifice my job to come here and help her,” Robles said.