When her dog was kidnapped, a woman didn't hesitate to jump on the thief's car as he sped away through downtown Los Angeles.
Ali Zacharias' hell began when she was having dinner with Onyx, her French bulldog, in downtown Los Angeles. A woman is said to have picked up the dog from under the table and left with him. Ms. Zacharias initially thought it was a misunderstanding, she told the Los Angeles Times.
The dog thief got into a car where three other people were waiting for them. Ms. Zacharias attempted to follow but was pushed back by the vehicle's occupants, who then locked the door.
She then threw herself onto the windshield of the car. “I will not leave this car. I held on to the windshield wipers because I thought they wouldn't work if I was in the car,” said the 44-year-old.
Later events proved him wrong. She desperately clung to the hood of the 65 km/h car. Finally, she was thrown to the ground by the fleeing driver's sudden maneuvers.
The entire incident was captured on video by a witness, Harrison Pessy, whose footage went viral on social media.
According to the Los Angeles Times, French bulldogs have become targets of theft in the United States because high demand drives up their cost and makes them attractive to criminals. The incident is reminiscent of other high-profile cases, including the theft of Lady Gaga's French bulldogs in 2021.
Law enforcement is investigating the dog theft, but Zacharias hopes the media attention generated by the video will help solve the case.