Canoga Park man details terrifying moment he was robbed of French Bulldog at gunpoint
The victim of a traumatizing robbery at gunpoint is speaking out, desperately hoping that the thieves return his beloved French Bulldog they took on Wednesday in Canoga Park.
"I am pretty traumatized from that, I'm always looking behind my back now, especially around this area where I thought it was safe," said the victim, only wishing to be called "Johnny" out of concern for his personal safety. "We've never had something like that, like this close. So we're all scared."
Johnny was walking his 7-month-old French Bulldog named Ulan in front of Columbus Middle School at around 10 a.m. on Wednesday when a red sedan pulled up next to him. Two men jumped out of the car, demanding that he hand over his dog while they held him at gunpoint.
"He was pointing it at my stomach at first, and then I kind of pushed him back and then he moved it to the right and he shot right beside me," Johnny said. "It was really loud, but I assumed it was fake."
Johnny refused to give into the suspect's demands, still believing that the firearm was a replica. He continued to fight back when he was punched in the face while the armed suspect grabbed Ulan and jumped into the car that sped away.
After the shot was fired, Columbus Middle School was placed on lockdown, causing a panic amongst parents of students at the campus. The lockdown was lifted after police learned that Johnny was the target of the incident.
"Here we are in Canoga Park, which is supposed to be a safe neighborhood, and our kids are talking about gunfire," said Lailoni Tucker, one of the many parents rattled by the incident. "I just feel like the kids are exposed to things that they shouldn't be."
Johnny is still hoping that Ulan will be returned to his home, and if not, he hopes that he ends up somewhere safe and loving. As he continues his search, he's also hoping that the suspects are held accountable for their actions and brought to justice.
"They tried shooting me, so I hope they get punished if they are caught."
As they continue to investigate the incident, Los Angeles Police Department detectives ask anyone who knows more about the incident, the three suspects or the red sedan involved to contact them immediately.
