Police have arrested a man on suspicion of stealing a beloved pet from his garden in broad daylight.
According to the family, the pet was rescued and lived with the family for about five years, but is still missing.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that the suspect in a brazen theft in Panorama City was arrested at an undisclosed location around noon Monday.
One of the pet owners admitted that despite the arrest, the turtle was never found, and urged the public to keep an eye out for the turtle.
A Panorama City family is seeking the return of a stolen turtle photographed on Nov. 3, 2024. (family photo)
Footage shared by KTLA showed an unidentified suspect reaching into the front gate of a Brimfield Avenue home around 3 p.m. Sunday.
A man described by the turtle’s owner as “heartless and evil” was seen flipping the reptile onto its shell and removing it from the garden. He was then caught on camera violently attacking her.
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Jennifer Tapia said she and her family regularly keep turtles outdoors. After failing to find a turtle that went missing in their garden, they watched security camera footage and discovered the nefarious act.
“It’s sad to see something like this happen in our community and to know that someone could do something like this to an animal,” Tapia said.
The family has a second turtle, but it was unharmed. Anyone with information about the missing turtle is asked to contact local police.
