Suspected puppy thieves on the run after taking little dog from Winter Haven teen

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Police in Winter Haven are searching for a couple they say stole a puppy from a teenager on Tuesday.

According to the Winter Haven Police Department, a 15-year-old girl was walking along 6th St SE carrying her 8-week-old Pomeranian puppy named Willow shortly before 2:30 p.m. when a man and a woman in a silver/gray vehicle, that may be newer model Mustang Mach-E 4-door, pulled up to her. 

Police say the pair told the teen that her puppy was cute and asked to hold it. 

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The teen, who didn't want to appear on camera, said she was on her way home from school when she cut through the parking lot of a business. 

"She asks if she can see my dog and won't stop following me through the parking lot. So, I lift up my dog for her to see her, not touch her, and she snatches my dog," she said. 

Police say this 8-week-old Pomeranian puppy was stolen from a teen on Tuesday. Image is courtesy of the Winter Haven Police Department. 

That’s when, according to investigators, the woman handed the dog to her male passenger, and they took off toward Cypress Gardens Blvd. The teen tried to chase after the vehicle, but there was no way to catch up. 

"So many things were going through my mind, like, am I going to find my daughter in the middle of the road?" said the girl's mom. "My baby's a baby. The dog's a baby. Why would you do that? I mean, why?"

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Police described the woman as Hispanic with acne scarring on her face. They say she was wearing a flowered dress when the theft occurred. Her passenger is described as a black man.

"Do you have a neighbor who has the vehicle or a neighbor that looks like that? A neighbor who just acquired a brand-new puppy. Can you call us? Because those are the kind of clues and information we need to get this young girl her puppy back," said Jamie Brown, a spokesperson with the police department.

Winter Haven police say a couple in this car stole an 8-week-old puppy from a teenager. Image is courtesy of the Winter Haven Police Department. 

The puppy is tan and was last seen with a pink collar with a red bell. 

The teen says the guilt is eating her up inside that she let this happen and she hopes the community helps keep an eye out for Willow.

Pictured: Suspect's vehicle. Image is courtesy of the Winter Haven Police Department. 

"Please! I want people to see her. I want people to tell me. I want to know that she's okay and I want her back. She's my baby. I love her so much," she said.

Anyone with information on the identities of the accused puppy thieves is asked to call the Winter Haven Police Department at 863-401-2256.