A 14-year-old boy had his German shepherd puppy stolen from him at gunpoint Thursday while he was walking the dog in his San Leandro neighborhood, police said.
Detectives said two men armed with a pistol approached the teen in the 1500 block of Dayton Avenue in the city's Washington Manor neighborhood and stole the 3-month-old canine named Maya.
The boy told police while he was walking Maya, two men in their 20s parked a car nearby, and the passenger got out and tried to snatch Maya away from him. The man claimed he had a gun. When the boy would not give up the dog, he said, the driver got out and threatened the boy by pointing a pistol at him, according to police.
Fearing for his life, the boy let Maya go, and the suspects fled in their car. Police described the car only as being a light-colored vehicle.
“You can only imagine how frightening a violent crime like this can be, especially for a 14-year-old,” said Lt. Robert McManus of the San Leandro Police Department. “Our goal is to get Maya back to the boy as soon as possible. We hope to identify the suspects, too, so that we can bring them to justice and prevent this from happening to anyone else.”
Police are asking for the public's help in the case. Anyone with information should contact the San Leandro Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division at 510-577-3230.
