Florida traveling nurse reunited with dog, finds camper after they were stolen over weekend
A traveling nurse from Florida has been reunited with her beloved dog, who was recovered along with her camper after it was all stolen in Los Feliz over the weekend.
Nurse Mason Gray danced and sang, "hallelujah," as she arrived at the LAPD's 77th Street station to pick up 6-year-old Bexley, who showed his excitement at being reunited with many doggy kisses. LAPD officers alerted Gray late Monday night that her camper and Bexley, safe and sound, were located on 82nd Street and Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles.
Gray was in California to pick up shifts at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, arriving a little over two weeks ago. She parked her tan 1970s model camper near Sunset Drive as she she worked an overnight shift from Saturday to Sunday, leaving Bexley and countless items inside of her traveling home.
She only learned that everything was missing Sunday morning after she finished her shift.
"I went and took Bexley out one time before 10 o'clock," Gray noted. "Then I had this instinct that I should take her out again, but I got super busy at work. ... Then I get back to my vehicle and the campers gone."
CBS reporters spoke with Gray on Monday, just moments after she had just found surveillance footage of the scene at a nearby business.
"I wasn't gonna give up," she said. "I'm finding my dog. There's no way that anybody's going to get me down. ... I'm not gonna stop until I find her."
The video showed a man hooking Gray's trailer to the back of his dark-colored truck before driving away north along Hillhurst Avenue.
"It makes me super angry somebody can do that. I just feel violated," Gray said.
She's thankful to the countless people who have reached out to offer their help. "
It just goes to show that even in hard times there's people that show up in your life. ... It's such a blessing and I'm so grateful," she said.
Gray said she had moved with the intention of one day being able to buy a house.
"I thought this would be the right route," she said, detailing how the camper also housed other priceless items of Gray's, including her guitar, piano and camera, which she uses for side work that includes acting, singing and photography.
Children's Hospital Los Angeles was working with Los Angeles Police Department detectives as they investigate the incident. A woman who was in the camper when it was found in South LA was arrested, but police say she thought she was purchasing the camper for $500.
"Unfortunately this is a common occurrence," LAPD Lt. Earl Perry said. "A person will steal a camper or van, bring it here to this area, and either sell it to somebody or park it and charge rent."
The camper didn't return unscathed the way Bexley did -- once Gray took a look inside, she found many of her personal items were missing.
"It's in shambles," she said. "It's literally just ... I mean, one day, and it's just, I don't even know what happened. It looks like a bomb went off in there."
Gray says she and Bexley will now look for an apartment because she no longer feel the van life is safe.
