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Video, tips lead to police finding Lenoir man's stolen puppy

LENOIR, N.C. — A Lenoir man wasn’t sure if he would ever see his American bulldog puppy again.

Someone reached over Manuel Martinez’s fence and stole his dog from his yard shortly after Thanksgiving.

However, a neighbor’s surveillance camera captured the theft.

Police posted the video on Facebook, and after 25,000 views, they got the tip they needed.

The puppy was located Thursday morning at another home in town, according to police.

“I was mad, you know, because I don’t think somebody has a right to go on someone’s property and steal something. He made me mad,” Martinez said.

Police say it was several weeks before they got the video of Jack being stolen.

They estimated his value at nearly $1,000.

Martinez had given police close-up photos of his dog.

Jack’s distinctive features around his eyes enabled police to make the positive identification.

“It has these two lines that kind of come up from its eyes, its face and the eyes of the dog,” said Lenoir police Officer Christian Lynn. “Then, as it goes down on the front of its legs, it turns to white all of the sudden at the paws.  There is no question about it.”

Martinez is thankful for the efforts of police and for social media, which allowed police to get the tip they needed to bring Jack home.

“I opened the door and when I saw him, I started petting him and he was happy,” Martinez said. "My son got up and he was happy, too.”

Police say the people at the home say they got the dog from someone else over the holidays.

Investigators say they are still working to identify that person.

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