74-year-old woman's Shih Tzu stolen from her home in Brooklyn
NEW YORK - A Brooklyn woman is heartbroken and desperate to get her dog back after the pooch was stolen outside her home.
"He's my everything," said 74-year-old Valerie Rivera, talking about her Shih Tzu, Romeo.
The NYPD says Romeo was last seen on March 18, when Rivera let him out at 9 a.m. that day to relieve himself and stretch his legs in her home's fenced-in yard in East New York.
Surveillance video shows a man approaching the dog. Police say they believe he is responsible for stealing the animal at around 9:30 a.m. that same day.
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Police believe that the man took off heading southbound on Jerome Street toward Pitkin Avenue.
If you think you've seen the suspect or the dog, you're asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
All calls are strictly confidential.