Police say they have recovered a dog that was stolen from outside a Whole Foods Market in Boston's Fenway area last weekend.
According to the owner, the chihuahua named Alejandro, known as Handro, was tied up outside of the grocery store for about 10 minutes Saturday morning.
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"Honestly, my first reaction was just hysterically crying," explained Shelly Vermani. "I probably cried for at least five minutes before I could even think of calling the police."
Vermani has owned Handro for the past eight years. She told NBC10 Boston earlier this week that she was finding it difficult to sleep or eat ever since her dog went missing. She said the dog recently had surgery and needed medical attention.
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Boston police released a surveillance photo earlier this week of someone seen walking with the dog in the Mass. and Cass area of Boston.
Around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Boston police said a detective sergeant assigned to the South End received a tip about the stolen dog's whereabouts. The detective sergeant searched the area of Old Colony Avenue and saw a woman matching the description of the suspect seen in the surveillance image walking away from the Whole Foods with the stolen dog.
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The detective sergeant asked the woman, "Where is the dog?" to which she replied that she didn't know. The detective sergeant then told the woman there was a $2,500 reward for the dog, and she said she wanted the money first. But the detective sergeant said he needed to see the dog first.
A few minutes later, the woman returned with the dog. The woman, identified by police as 24-year-old Emily Sardo, of Boston, was found to have an active arrest warrant and was taken into custody.
Boston police said she was released later Thursday and is expected to be summonsed to court on the dog theft charge at a later date.
The dog has been safely reunited with her owner, Boston police said.
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