Victim Reunited With Stolen Dog After Home Burglary, Car Theft: 'It's Been The Craziest Three Days Of My Life'
GALT (CBS13) — To understand the magnitude of this reunion between Charlie the Pomeranian and his owner, you have to go back to the beginning.
"It's been the craziest three days of my life," said owner Kellie Ruyle.
Its been a week of misfortune for Kellie Ruyle. She says Charlie was stolen and found more than 20 miles away from his Galt home with his once fluffy fur snipped off of his body.
"They cut his hair. I believe they were trying to change his identity," Ruyle explained.
Before Charlie's chop, Ruyle's car was stolen from her driveway on Monday. A day later, she suspects the same person came back and broke into her house.
"They took laptops, everything and at that point, my partner said 'where is Charlie?' and he was gone," she said.
Heather Alvarez (credit: Galt Police Department)
Neighbors on horseback canvased the area but found nothing. On Wednesday, her sister Linsea spotted the stolen car at an AMPM on E. Stockton Blvd, less than 10 miles from Ruyle's house. Heather Alvarez, 27, was sleeping inside with all the stolen goods except little Charlie.
"I was just like, am I really witnessing this right now? Who does that? Who steals a car, comes back and robs people, takes the dog and then comes back to the same city," Linsea Ruyle said.
Charlie was spotted hours later Wednesday near Sacramento State. He was found in the same area Ruyle claims police cameras tracked the stolen car earlier this week.
"That particular license plate was scanned in the same area where Charlie was found at 8 p.m. the night the car was stolen. When we got the call about Charlie, and they told us where they were, I said, 'Wait a minute, there is no way he could've gone from here in Galt all the way to Sacramento,'" Ruyle said.
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Despite his new hairdo, Charlie is happy to be home after one hair-raising experience.
"I can't even explain it, it was joy, straight happiness," Ruyle explained.
Galt Police arrested Alvarez for possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia. The investigation into the stolen dog is ongoing.