OCOEE, Fla. – A husband and wife are begging for the return of their beloved dog after she was stolen during a car theft Monday morning in Ocoee.
Segundo Palomino said he was in his Nissan Murano around 8:30 a.m. preparing to go to work with his dog, Bebe, when he realized he forgot something inside, so he parked his vehicle on the street near his home and went inside.
When he came back outside, he said he saw a man get in the SUV and speed off with Bebe still inside.
The Ocoee Police Department is investigating the carjacking, but so far there are no leads.
Palomino said his shih tzu Bebe always comes to work with him at his jewelry shop and spends much of her day lying on a dog bone-shaped mat in the corner.
Now he and his wife say they're devastated that the dog is missing, adding that they don't care about what happens to their vehicle as long as their "baby" is safely returned.
"This is big problem for me. Dog is principal for me, no car," Palomino said.
Neighbor James Schultz saw how grief-stricken the Palominos were Monday morning and called News 6 to spread the word in hopes that Bebe will be brought home.
"Because I know that you guys get results. I've seen these types of stories where people just want to get their family back, their dog back, they don't care about the material item," Schultz said. "And I couldn't think of any better way to get it out there, to get a photo out of this pet."
Schultz said he doesn't understand why the culprit wouldn't leave the dog behind and just take the vehicle.
"Why they wouldn't at least have left the dog? Because the dog, I know, would have been barking," Schultz said. "Just leave the pet. That's all we wanted and what they wanted. They just wanted their pet back; they can keep the car."
Bebe is a 6-year-old, 22-pound shih tzu with white fur and a dark-colored left ear. She was wearing a collar with a red tag when the vehicle was stolen.
Anyone who sees her or a white 2016 Nissan Murano with Florida license plate number 9964GT is asked to call the Ocoee Police Department at 407-905-3160, extension 3021.