A 21-year-old Aurora woman has been charged with felony retail theft after she allegedly stole a puppy from a Naperville pet store and then tried to return it the next day.
Sgt. Lou Cammiso of the Naperville Police Department said Brandie M. Walker, 21, of the 2600 block of Stonybrook Lane, allegedly took an 8-week-old French Bulldog named "Fiona" from Petland on the 700 block of South Route 59 in Naperville Friday.
The puppy is valued $2,500, according to Cammiso.
He said Walker was with a man and they were playing with the puppy in a play area. The man left the store to smoke a cigarette, and a few minutes later, she allegedly placed the puppy beneath her sweatshirt and left the store.
The store posted surveillance camera pictures of the alleged theft on its Facebook page. A tip came in from the photos and police went to Walker's house where they talked with her mother, Cammiso said. Walker was not at home, but the next day she went to the store early in the morning and tried to return the animal, he said.
Adam Stachowiak, owner of the Petland, said Tuesday that Fiona is in good condition.
"Fiona is doing great," he said. "She's hanging with the other puppies, and waiting for someone to take her home – with all the right paperwork."
Walker was transported to DuPage County Jail and later released on $5,000 bond.
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