Chihuahua/dachshund mix

Caught on Tape - Surveillance video shows dog stealer in action
By Cary Ashby - Reflector Staff Writer
Tuesday March 02 2010, 1:07pm

The Norwalk woman accused of stealing a grocery store customer's dog apparently didn't know her victim.

Bonnie Heyman, 52, of 12 W. Elm St., was charged with theft in connection with she and her 16-year-old grandson stealing a small chihuahua/daschund dog from the front of Gardner's SuperValu, 117 Whittlesey Ave. Nothing in Norwalk Police Sgt. Dave Smith's report indicates any reason why Heyman wanted to steal the dog.

The victim called police about 8:15 p.m. March 20 when she noticed her very small dog was no longer tied to the ice machine in front of Gardner's when she exited the business.

"She always tied her dog to the machine (while she went shopping). ... It was like a weekly deal," Chief Dave Light said.

The chief credited Gardner's state of the art video surveillance system with greatly helping Smith in identifying the suspects.

"They had the dog back in 45 minutes," Light said.

The video footage shows Heyman talking to the dog at first. A few minutes later, the woman then sent her grandson to the front of the store to steal the dog, Light said. He said the boy simply untied the straps holding the dog that were tied to the handle of the ice machine near the front doors of the grocery store.

"You could clearly see Bonnie Heyman and her grandson," the chief added.

Just after the boy took the dog, the owner saw him "walking away with a barking dog under his coat. (She) advised she called after him, asking if that was her dog and demanding he give it back, however the subject ignored her," Smith wrote in his report.

"The subject entered a white vehicle, being operated by another person and left the scene, (heading) southbound on Whittlesey," Smith continued.

After identifying the woman and her grandson, the officer went to Heyman's home where he saw both the dog and Heyman's grandson.

The woman first denied being at Gardner's, Light said.

"She first tried to say the grandson just brought it home," the chief said. "Her only defense is you should never leave a dog alone outside in this weather."

Smith seized the dog and returned it to its owner. On Thursday, police forwarded a report about the case to the Huron County Prosecutor's Office and Huron County Juvenile Court. Light said police want the state to file a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor against Heyman.

Detective Dave Pigman, who handles juvenile cases, made a follow-up call to the prosecutor's office Friday to explain the case, Light said.

Norwalk Municipal Court lists eight criminal cases filed against Heyman from 1988 through 1991, but court records indicate the cases are no longer on file.

Source: http://www.goreflector.com/articles/2010/03/28/front/iq_950033.txt
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