HAMPTON, Va. — Four husky puppies have been reunited with their mother after a homeless man stole six pups from a Hampton grooming business, according to police.
The theft happened at Critter Cleaners, a grooming business located in the 5100 block of West Mercury Boulevard, overnight Thursday. Surveillance cameras caught the suspect removing six three-week-old husky puppies and an undisclosed amount of money from the business.
UPDATE: Owner of puppies says they’ve recovered three. Here’s the mom reuniting with two https://t.co/LddtrUwfc2 pic.twitter.com/x0yywi34Vp
— Brendan Ponton (@brendanponton) January 22, 2022
Bandi Murdock, the owner of Critter Cleaners, said the suspect ate food, watched television and took a shower before taking the puppies from their mother.
When apprehended, the suspect confessed but refused to say where the puppies were, according to Murdock.
Investigators were able to track some of the dogs down through the man's friends.
Police later identified the suspect as 50-year-old Rodney Jackson, who they said was experiencing homelessness. He was arrested and charged with Breaking and Entering, Grand Larceny, Grand Larceny with intent to sell, and 6 counts of Animal Larceny.
On Sunday, the owner said another puppy was recovered, leaving two still missing.
Murdock said she is worried about their safety.
"It's been a while and the puppies are desperately needing to eat, not to mention the temperatures outside," she said.
If you have any information on where the puppies could be, call the Hampton Police Division at 757–727–6111 or the Crime Line at 1–888-LOCK-U-UP.
This is heartwarming! With the help of our community and the hard work of our detectives, three of the six stolen Huskey puppies have been returned to their mother. If you know where the other puppies can be found, leave a tip at https://t.co/icZyyON0Pp. pic.twitter.com/9jcOwaViEe
— Hampton VA Police (@HamptonVAPolice) January 23, 2022
