A French bulldog who was stolen at gunpoint from his owners in Castro Valley earlier this month has been reunited with his family.
The pet named "Tito" was recovered by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and returned to his owners, a mother and her daughter. The emotional and tearful moment of reunification was captured on video by authorities.
The two women were walking Tito on Norbridge Avenue on Jan. 15 when five men in a black SUV approached them, three of whom were armed with handguns. They stole the 15-month-old bulldog and snatched the daughter's purse. Later that night, the thieves stole her Mercedes from her residence's driveway.
"As a dog owner, this case disturbed me, my agency and the community," Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern said. "I directed our investigators to pursue all leads. I’m glad to see Tito is now reunited with his family. Thank you to our Detectives and Community Members for supporting this effort."
No other information about the case was released. It's unclear how and where Tito was located and if any arrests have been made.
The theft was one of a series of french bulldog robberies across the Bay Area in recent weeks.
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