Ocala, Florida — A pit bull that was stolen from the Humane Society while they were attending an adoption event at PetSmart on May 30, has been recovered.
According to a press release, today, Ocala Police Officer Sergeant Erica Hay responded to the Marion County Humane Society to check on three dogs she had recently helped rescue from a storm drain.
While there, Sergeant Hay was advised that the Humane Society had received an anonymous tip of an address where Gabe, the pit bull, might be located.
However, the address was located outside of the Ocala City limits. Therefore, Sergeant Hay contacted members of the Marion county Sheriff’s Office Criminal Interdiction Unit, Deputy Roy Hay and Sergeant Jeremy Nix, and requested their assistance.
Sergeant Nix and Deputy Hay responded to 6489 Southwest 109th Place, Ocala, and located a dog matching the description of Gabe. The dog was tied up in the front yard.
The deputies had Marion County Animal Control respond to scan the dog’s chip, and the number came back as the one assigned to Gabe.
OPD was then notified that Gabe had been located and positively identified.
OPD Detective Mike Hilton responded to work the follow up on the case.
At the scene, detectives located Sean Daniel Murry, 37, of Germantown, New York, who was temporarily in the area doing work on the house located at 109th Place, for the gentleman who had purchased it.
Murry was identified as the suspect who stole Gabe from the Humane Society.
He was arrested and transported to the Ocala Police Department, where he was interviewed by Detective Hilton.
Murry stated that he had found Gabe running in-and-out of traffic on State Road 200 several days prior to the dog being stolen.
Detective Hilton then presented Murry with video evidence that showed [him] stealing the dog, at which time Murry requested a lawyer and refused to cooperate.
Detectives said Murry was also wearing the same pair of shorts that he had worn when he stole the dog.
Murry stated that he planned to leave for New York no later than June 14, therefore his bond was increased to $2,000.
He was charged with Retail Theft.
Gabe was unharmed.
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