Woman clings to thieves' car after French bulldog stolen in downtown L.A.

Summary

In Los Angeles, a woman named Ali Zacharias clung to the hood of a speeding car after thieves snatched her French bulldog puppy Onyx while she was having lunch downtown. The suspects pushed Ali out and drove off with Onyx, prompting her to jump in front of the car while screaming for help. A bystander captured cell phone video of the chaotic scene. Ali is devastated and desperate to get Onyx back, describing him like a child. She's offering a reward for the puppy's safe return. Police have surveillance footage of the suspects and car and are investigating.

Takeaways

• 😢 Woman desperately clings to hood of speeding car to try to prevent thieves from stealing her French bulldog puppy
• 😠 Thieves snatched woman's puppy while she was having lunch outside Whole Foods in downtown LA
• 😱 Woman jumped onto hood of getaway car and screamed for help as thieves drove off with her dog
• 📷 Bystander captured video of the woman clinging to hood of car as it raced down street
• 💔 Woman said she loves her puppy like a child and is devastated
• 🚘 Getaway car described as early 2000s white Kia Forte 4-door with missing hubcap
• 🕵️ Video footage obtained by police to try to identify suspects and follow their route
• 🙏 Woman offering reward for return of her puppy, who has unique multi-colored eyes
• ☎️ Anyone with information urged to contact LA police
• 😢 These types of dog thefts sadly very common, with thieves targeting prized breeds

Q & A

What happened in the video?

A woman named Ali Zacharias was clinging to the hood of a speeding car in downtown LA after thieves snatched her French bulldog puppy Onyx.

Where did the dog theft occur?

Outside the Whole Foods located on Grand Avenue and 8th Street in downtown LA around 2:30 pm on January 18.

How did the thieves steal Onyx?

A woman approached Onyx as he was sitting under Ali's chair and grabbed his leash. When Ali tried to stop her, the woman got into a waiting car with three other people.

What did Ali do when the thieves tried to drive away?

She jumped in front of the car and screamed for help. When no one came, she fell onto the hood as the car drove into her.

Who witnessed and filmed part of the incident?

Harrison Pesky captured cell phone footage of Ali clinging to the hood of the speeding car.

How is the getaway car described?

A white early 2000s four-door Kia Forte with a missing hubcap on the driver's front side.

What do the suspects look like?

The woman was African-American, as were the three other overweight people in the car - two other women and a male driver. None had noticeable tattoos.

What is Ali offering for Onyx's safe return?

She is offering a reward, with more details available on KTLA's website.

What makes Onyx identifiable?

He has spotted black and white fur and hazel colored eyes that distinguish him from other dogs.

Who should people contact if they have information about this crime?

The LA Police Department.

Outlines

00:00

😲 Woman Clings to Car Hood in Attempt to Rescue Stolen Puppy

A woman named Ali Zacharias was having lunch with her French bulldog puppy Onyx in downtown LA when thieves snatched the dog. Ali chased after them and jumped on the hood of their car as they tried to drive away. She held on screaming as the car sped through streets. Bystander Harrison Pesky captured video of the incident. The suspects are described as 3 overweight African American women and 1 male driver in a white 2000s Kia Forte. Ali is desperate to get her puppy back and offering a reward.

Keywords

💡French bulldog

A French bulldog is a popular breed of small dog with distinctive bat ears. The woman, Ali Zacharias, has a French bulldog puppy named Onyx that gets stolen from her by thieves outside a Whole Foods store. This kicks off the central conflict of the news story about Zacharias clinging to the car to try to save her beloved pet.

💡theft

The video deals with the theft or stealing of Zacharias' dog. Pet theft, especially of popular breeds like French bulldogs, is highlighted as an ongoing issue that thieves exploit.

💡desperation

When the thieves drive off with her dog, Zacharias acts in desperation by jumping on the car hood and clinging on while they speed away. Her desperate pleas for help and extreme actions illustrate her devotion to her pet.

💡bystander

The video notes the lack of help from bystanders even as Zacharias screams for assistance while risking her life on the speeding car. This highlights public apathy and not intervening to stop a crime in progress.

💡surveillance

Police obtain surveillance camera footage from the area to help identify the car and suspects involved in stealing the dog. Surveillance video proves crucial for tracking the criminals.

💡investigation

Beyond the surveillance, the news report indicates the extensive police investigation underway to find Onyx the stolen dog. This includes tracking the car using license plate information and street cameras.

💡reward

Zacharias offers a reward for anyone who can ensure the safe return of her puppy Onyx. This incentive aims to motivate and compensate people for information or actions leading to recovering her stolen pet.

💡trauma

The theft of her dog is portrayed as a traumatic, scarring experience for Zacharias. She describes the puppy like a child, indicating the emotional importance of the pet and psychological impact of the crime.

💡community

The story implies a breakdown in the social fabric and trust within the community. The brazen daytime theft of a pet in a public place highlights declining public safety and lawlessness.

💡awareness

By covering this story, the news station aims to spread awareness of increasing pet thefts so dog owners can be more vigilant. The reportage also puts public pressure on authorities to curb this trend.

Highlights

Woman clings to the hood of a speeding car to save her French bulldog puppy from thieves in LA

Thieves snatched the dog in broad daylight as the owner sat down for lunch outside Whole Foods

The owner jumped in front of the car and clung to the hood as the thieves drove away with her dog

Bystander captured the chaos on cell phone video as he heard tires screeching and woman screaming

The owner was devastated as she loves her puppy like a child and desperately wants him back

Police obtained surveillance footage to identify the suspects who stole the French bulldog puppy

The owner is offering a reward for the safe return of her beloved French bulldog puppy

The suspect vehicle was described as an early 2000s white Kia Forte with a missing hubcap

Police urged anyone with information about the crime to contact the LAPD

The woman clung to the hood of the speeding car to try to prevent the thieves from getting away with her dog

The woman said she was willing to die to save her puppy from the thieves

Bystander was shocked that someone would steal a loved pet

The owner described her puppy's unique markings to help identify him

French bulldogs are a frequent target for thieves due to their high value

Transcripts

DURING WINTER SENATOR MITCHELL

IN TONIGHT FOR RICK CHAMBERS,

IT'S A HECTIC MOMENT IS CAUGHT

ON CAMERA IN DOWNTOWN CAR

FLYING DOWN THE STREET.

AND THERE IS A WOMAN

WOMAN SAYS THAT SHE WAS TRYING

TO PREVENT THIEVES FROM

GETTING AWAY WITH HER FRENCH

BULLDOG KTLA JOHN FENOGLIO

JOINS US LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN LA

WITH A STORY YOU'LL SEE ONLY

ON 5 JOHN. KAREEN SANDRA

PRETTY WILD STUFF. SADLY

INCIDENTS LIKE THIS ARE ALL

TOO COMMON THIEVES TARGETING

DOG OWNERS FOR THEIR PRIZED

POPS.

BUT AS YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE

ONE WOMAN WASN'T ALLOWED ABOUT

TO ALLOW HER DOG TO GET STOLEN

WITHOUT A FIGHT. A WOMAN

CLINGS TO THE HOOD OF A

SPEEDING CAR IN DOWNTOWN LOS

ANGELES AS YOU START TO GO

FASTER FAST RISERS I'M ABOUT

TO DIE. THIS IS MY DEATH RIGHT

NOW ABOUT TO DIE ALI ZACHARIAS

WAS HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE

AND THE LIFE OF HER BELOVED

FRENCH BULLDOG PUPPY ONYX

AFTER THIEVES SNATCHED THE DOG

IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, IT WAS

HORRIFYING ALI HAD JUST SAT

DOWN FOR LUNCH WITH HER PUP

OUTSIDE THE WHOLE FOODS

LOCATED ON GRAND AVENUE AND

8TH STREET AROUND 2.30

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18 WHOSE A

HAPPY AND SOCIAL PUPPY ONYX

WAS SITTING UNDER THE CHAIR

WHEN A WOMAN APPROACHED AND

BEGAN CALLING TO HIM.

THEN GRABBED HIS LEASH AND

THINK THAT SOMEBODY WAS

STEALING MY DOG, I THOUGHT WAS

A MISUNDERSTANDING SO I WAS

LIKE THAT'S MY DOG EXCUSE ME.

AND SHE WAS LISTENING AND

SHE TURNED AND SHE GOT RIGHT

INTO A CAR. AND I TRIED TO

FOLLOW HER INTO THE CAR. BUT I

GOT IN FOR PEOPLE IN THE CAR.

THE SUSPECTS PUSHED HER OUT

AND LOCKED THE DOORS THAT'S

WHEN ALI JUMPED IN FRONT OF

THE CAR AND SCREAMED FOR HELP

NOBODY CAME AND NEXT THING I

KNOW THE CARS DRIVING INTO ME

AND I LIKE LIKE BASICALLY FELL

ONTO THE HOOD AND SOMEONE

STOLE MY DOG PROBABLY TRY TO

KILL MYSELF HARRISON PESKY

CAPTURED THE CHAOS ON HIS CELL

PHONE. HE WAS CROSSING THE

STREET WHEN HE SUDDENLY HEARD

TIRES SCREECHING AND A WOMAN

SCREAMING SHE SPED OFF AND

UNFORTUNATELY TOOK THIS MOMENT

WITH HER IT'S DEVASTATED THAT

SOMEONE WOULD TAKE.

SOMEONE'S ANIMAL. THE

SUSPECT VEHICLE IS DESCRIBED

AS AN EARLY 2000 WHITE

FOUR-DOOR KIA FORTE WITH THE

MISSING HUBCAP ON THE DRIVER'S

FRONT SIDE.

THE WOMAN THIS OH MY GOD

WAS AFRICAN-AMERICAN AS WAS

THE 3 PEOPLE IN THE CAR. THERE

WERE 3 FEMALES ALL OVERWEIGHT

AND SO AS IT WAS A MALE

DRIVING NO TATTOOS ARE ALL

WEARING LIKE SWEAT AND SWEAT

AND LIKE T-SHIRTS POLICE HAVE

OBTAINED SURVEILLANCE VIDEO

FROM NUMEROUS CAMERAS ENABLING

THEM TO GET A BETTER LOOK AT

THE SUSPECT THEY'RE GOING TO

FOLLOW THE STREET CAMERAS TO

TRY AND GET THE REST OF THE

LICENSE PLATE THIS DOG MAMA

SAYS SHE LOVES HER PUP LIKE A

CHILD AND IS DESPERATE TO GET

HIM BACK HE

YOU KNOW SPOTTED LIKE BLACK

AND WHITE SPOT IT AND HE HAS

TO HAVE A COLOR EYES AS THE

MAIN LIKE FEATURE THAT WILL

SET IT APART FROM OTHER DOGS,

I'M JUST PRAYING THAT.

I BY HIM BACK THEY CAN FIND

HIM THEY STOLE MY IT CHILD

AWAY FROM ME.

ALI IS OFFERING A REWARD

FOR HER PUP SAFE RETURN MORE

DETAILS ABOUT THAT ON OUR

WEBSITE KTLA DOT COM. ANYONE

WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THIS

CRIME IS URGED TO CONTACT THE

L A P D WE'RE LIVE DOWNTOWN,