9-week-old puppy stolen from the Citadel Mall, theft and suspect caught on camera
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Springs Police (CSPD) are investigating the theft of a 9-week-old, charcoal-colored Labrador retriever from the Pet City at the Citadel Mall.
Security camera footage from the pet shop shows a man walking past the front desk at 1:47 p.m. Monday. At 1:58, the man is seen picking up the Labrador retriever from a petting pen and running.
"We have lots of families and friends and community that come in just to hold and play with the animals, which is such an important socialization for our pets," said Pet City Manager Bree Maestas. "But if it does become very hard when you don't know if somebody is going to steal that animal or take that animal."
Maestas says a driver was waiting for the man outside in an early 2000s, black four-door Mazda.
The pet store is now asking the public for help to identify the suspect.
This isn't the first time Pet City has been a victim of puppy theft.
According to CPSD and Maestas, a man and woman stole a Yorkshire terrier weeks ago on Dec. 4, 2023.
The pet shop filed a police report the next day, and officers with CSPD making an arrest in the case.
CPSD charged 18-year-old Diego Jose Aguilar with shoplifting between a range of $5,000 and $19,000.
