CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – More than a month after a dog was allegedly stolen and held for ransom, a Charlotte mother was arrested, court documents revealed.
The dog, a 6-year-old French bulldog named Julio, was inside a car that was stolen from the Alta Croft apartments on April 6. Within days of the theft, Julio’s owner — Jayla Gittens — said her brother got a video of the alleged thief driving around with the dog.
Gittens said she hung flyers around the Charlotte area and posted them online as well, in hopes that she would find Julio. She said the suspected thief responded to one of the online fliers with a comment that said she could have Julio back if she gave him $1,000.
Five days after the April 6 theft, Gittens got her car back … but not Julio.
“I’m sort of getting back to normal but I still don’t have my dog and it seems like this person is trying to hold my dog for ransom,” Gittens said in mid-April. “It’s been insane … I just really miss my dog and I really want him to be OK.”
—> Previous coverage: Charlotte woman claims alleged dog thief is holding her dog ransom, taunting her
When Gittens’ car was found, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said a juvenile was charged with stealing the car and property. The name of that juvenile was not released. At that same time, police said three other minors were interviews and were believed to have had information about Julio.
Then, by late April, Gittens told WBTV that “several” minors had been arrested in connection with her case.
Soon after, an affidavit dated May 2 said that 37-year-old Kendra Hunter called Gittens and said she was in a picture with Julio. Gittens then texted investigators about what Hunter allegedly told her, and also said Julio might have been with a French bulldog breeder.
The affidavit said investigators reviewed a picture taken on April 7 — one day after the theft — and found that Hunter was in fact in the picture with Julio. The affidavit said Hunter’s son took the picture at their townhome — the same place where Gittens’ car was found.
After investigators connected Hunter to the picture, she was arrested on May 13, records showed. She was charged with possession of stolen property, given a $3,000 bond, and released from jail the next day.
Despite the arrest, there has been no indication that Julio has been found.
—> Previous Coverage: Charlotte dog still missing after arrests made in stolen car, dog case, owner says
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