A man and a woman have been arrested after allegedly stealing a dog from an elderly couple in Southern Pines on Friday evening. The incident occurred at Kickback Jacks, located at 10745 U.S. 15/501, where the couple had been dining.
According to the Southern Pines Police Department, officers responded to a report of a stolen dog at around 8 p.m. that night. The elderly couple reported that a man had approached them, offering to assist them to their car. However, once the man was near the couple, he grabbed their tan Shih Tzu and fled to a car driven by a woman. The pair sped away from the scene.
On Monday afternoon, police arrested 25-year-old Lamondrick Keon Blue of Wagram and 21-year-old Novia Z’Hane Ratliff of Hamlet in connection with the theft. Both are charged with larceny of a dog. Blue is currently being held at the Richmond County Detention Center without bond, while Ratliff is held on a $5,000 secured bond.
Both suspects are scheduled to appear in Moore County Court on Thursday, January 16.