Police are looking for two suspects and a vehicle of interest linked to the theft of a red nose pit bull at gunpoint in Northeast D.C. over the weekend.
Around 3:45 p.m. Saturday, the victim was walking his dog in the 800 block of Division Avenue Northeast when he was approached by two suspects in an unknown vehicle, D.C. police said.
One of the suspects asked the victim if he could buy the victim’s dog, a red nose pit bull, according to the police incident report.
The victim declined selling his dog and continued to walk northbound on Division Avenue Northeast. The suspects, while still in the vehicle, followed the victim and his dog to the intersection of Division Avenue and Jay Street Northeast, police said.
While crossing the street, the victim was approached again by the suspects. The suspect who was driving the car opened the driver’s door and asked to see the dog, police said.
When the dog headed over, the other suspect then brandished a handgun and said, “It’s our dog now,” according to the incident report.
The driver of the vehicle picked up the dog, shut the door and drove away, police said.
The car was last seen driving in the 5300 block of Jay Street Northeast.
The suspect vehicle is described as a burgundy 2017 Kia Forte.
The dog is described as a 4-month-old male red nose pit bull named L.A. The dog was last seen wearing a blue collar with a rabies vaccination tag. The name L.A. is on the dog’s collar.
Red nose pit bulls are a rare color of American Staffordshire terrier that are highly sought after and often cost more than other colors of pit bulls.
Anyone who can identify the vehicle or who has knowledge of the crime should take no action but can call police at (202) 727-9099, or text a tip to 50411.
Below is a map of the area where police said the dog was taken, just blocks from the Maryland border.
WTOP’s Dick Uliano contributed to this report.
