An armed robber who stole a pregnant woman’s two French bulldogs in Studio City in early December has been arrested.
The Los Angeles Police Department announced the arrest this week and identified the suspect as 27-year-old Sammeiso Lewis, a resident of Las Vegas.
Lewis was arrested on Jan. 26 in Glendale, officials said.
He was wanted in connection with an armed robbery that happened on Dec. 9 on the 4100 block of Kraft Avenue in Studio City.
A woman who was nine months pregnant at the time was walking her two dogs when the suspect approached her, pulled out a pistol and forcefully stole the two dogs. He then fled with the dogs in gray SUV.
Police later confirmed that the dogs were returned to her, but the search for the armed suspect continued for several weeks.
LAPD officials plan to release more information about the arrest during a press conference Monday at the North Hollywood Community Police Station on Burbank Boulevard.
Among the topics that the Police Department plans to discuss is the rise in dog thefts across the city.
Reports of dogs being violently stolen, many of which are French bulldogs or other high-value and in-demand breeds, have been steadily rising in recent years.
Most notably, pop star Lady Gaga had her two French bulldogs stolen in 2021 when a group of armed men shot her dog walker and took off with her two dogs. Three men and two accomplices were involved with the robbery, including the gunman who was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
Lewis, meanwhile, remains in jail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Chinatown with bail set at $180,000. His next court date is on Tuesday.
