Pet dog may lose limb after being dragged by stolen SUV in Nassau County
MINEOLA, N.Y. -- A Nassau County woman was shaken up after her vehicle was stolen from a BP gas station in Mineola.
And that's not all the thief took. Her dog was in the front seat. The animal was injured when the thief threw it out the window while making a getaway.
The heartless theft was captured on surveillance video. The driver was seen pumping gas on Monday at 2:45 p.m. When a blue SUV pulls up, a thief runs over and sneaks into the driver's seat and speeds off.
The shaken 60-year-old vehicle owner runs not only after her Range Rover, but her 1-year-old pup in the passenger seat.
"She's very distraught. I mean, her car got stolen. Her wallet got stolen. Her phone. Whatever, those are all physical things. Those can be all replaced. But something like a dog, her a family member? She loves that dog," said Daeman Yoon, owner of Pet Story.
Yoon said the victim had just picked up the Cavachon named Sammy from his doggie day care. She thought the car rolled off, until witnesses explained to her they saw someone steal her car.
During the getaway, Nassau police say the thief threw Sammy out of the car, but his collar got caught, so the dog was dragged along busy Jericho Turnpike.
After the dog freed himself, Kelsey Greene and her boyfriend heard him yelping and came to the rescue.
"I was shaking. It was really scary. I have two dogs of my own. My boyfriend ran out and brought him to safety," Greene said.
"Left right here on Jericho Turnpike ... in between cars. One car stopped so one could get the dog, thank God," witness Frank Alamia said.
It's not the first such reckless car theft. In mid-December, a woman pumping gas in Glen Head was dragged after a man jumped into her Range Rover and sped away as she held on.
Both men wore similar striped sweat pants. Police have not linked two cases publicly, but they serve as a harsh reminder to never leave a car unlocked while pumping gas.
The dog will need surgery and may lose a limb as a result of bring thrown and then dragged. The stolen car was later found abandoned in East Orange, New Jersey.
The same BP gas station on Jericho Turnpike in Mineola was held up at gunpoint just two and a half weeks ago.
