Woman sentenced for role in theft of valuable dog from Maplewood home’s porch

A St. Paul woman has been sentenced for her role in the theft of a valuable dog from the porch of a Maplewood home. The dog was then held for ransom.

Chanessa Rena Gipson, 35, was put on probation for two years Tuesday. She had pleaded guilty in Ramsey County District court to a gross misdemeanor of aiding and abetting theft in connection with stealing a French bulldog named Pablo on May 8, 2023.

Judge John Guthmann set aside a 360-day jail sentence and dismissed two felony theft counts.

During sentencing, the prosecution noted that children in the family “still ask about Pablo, they miss him and are grieving,” said County Attorney’s Office spokesman Dennis Gerhardstein.

In December, accomplice Christopher S. Brigham, 25, was sentenced to a term of 1¾ years after pleading guilty to felony theft.

Pablo’s owner, Lynnea Sterling, told police she paid $10,000 for the dog. Limited supply has made the breed especially expensive; Frenchies are challenging to breed and have small litters.

On Wednesday, Sterling said Pablo has yet to be found. She’s resigned to the likelihood he’s dead.

“We had a sighting a couple weeks back,” she said, but nothing came of it.

According to the charges:

On May 11, 2023, Sterling received a Facebook message from a man who said he wanted $500 for Pablo’s safe return. Sterling said she could afford only $100. Police identified the man as Brigham based on his Facebook photos.

Sterling later received a phone call from a man who didn’t identify himself and told her that Brigham and Gipson “take dogs and either sell them for profit or sell them back to the owners for a reward or a finder’s fee,” the charges read.

A police investigator called and texted the man’s number, and Brigham answered. The investigator warned him to return Pablo immediately. Brigham said he gave the dog to a woman.

Pablo’s owner told the investigator that Gipson called her and said Brigham still had the dog and she wanted to talk to police. Gipson told the investigator she saw the dog in traffic and had to stop her vehicle to avoid hitting him. She claimed she knocked on doors trying to find the dog’s home before deciding to keep Pablo until an owner came forward.