Plot to sell pricey dog stolen in St. Paul foiled when potential buyer sees pet on flyer, charges say

A teenager’s plot to sell a dog he stole from a woman as she walked her pet unraveled when a prospective buyer recognized the animal from a flyer and called police, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday.

Lonnie Ray Jenkins, 18, of St. Paul, was charged in Ramsey County District Court with first-degree aggravated robbery in connection with him and an accomplice stealing the French bulldog-Boston terrier mix named Clementine on April 24 near the intersection of York Avenue and Arkwright Street in St. Paul.

A warrant has been issued nationwide for Jenkins’ arrest. The criminal complaint refers to but does not identify another male involved in the crime.

The complaint notes that Jenkins is a suspect in multiple aggravated robberies in Minneapolis, but the filing offered no details. His juvenile criminal history includes a conviction for auto theft.

According to the complaint:

The dog’s owner said she and her dog, Clementine, also affectionately called Tiny, were on their way to get ice cream late in the afternoon when two males started following her. She crossed the street out of concern for her safety, and the two males did the same.

Once she got to her front steps, the males stole Tiny despite her tight grip on the leash. One male pushed her to the ground while the other grabbed Tiny and ran off.

The woman told police that Tiny is worth thousands of dollars and is embedded with an electronic identification chip. She feared that if Tiny didn’t get her medication, the dog would fall ill, she said.

Surveillance video showed two men walking in the area and wearing masks. One of them was on a cellphone and could be heard saying, “Darius — hurry up,” the complaint read. Moments later an SUV picked up the males with Tiny.

A man later told police that he was asked by a male whether he wanted to buy a French bulldog for $700. The man went into the bottom unit of a residential building in the 500 block of Selby Avenue, saw the dog and noticed that it lacked a collar. The man said the dog appeared to be sick and lethargic.

The man left without buying the dog and went to a store nearby, where he saw a flyer about Tiny being missing and called the owner to report seeing her dog.

Police searched the residential unit Saturday and found Tiny on a living room couch, but Jenkins was not home.

A search of data connected to Jenkins’ phone tracked to where Tiny was stolen.