Three puppies were shaken up but otherwise OK after being stolen by a man who took them from a seller at gunpoint, fled from police in the victim's truck and then crashed it on an East Bay freeway, Hayward police said Monday.
The victim, who advertised the puppies online, met up with the man in South Hayward, police said. The man said he wanted to buy one puppy, but when he met the seller in person, he pulled out a gun, pointed it at the victim and then stole the victim's truck, which was carrying the puppies.
After the victim called 911, officers started searching for the truck and eventually found it in the area of Mission and Highland boulevards, police said. The man refused to pull over, prompting a chase.
While on the freeway, the man crashed and the truck ended up on its roof. The man tried to take off on foot, but he was taken into custody, police said.
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No one was hurt, police said. First responders comforted the puppies before they were able to reunite them with the victim.
The suspect was taken to Santa Rita Jail where he is being held for carjacking, felony evasion in a vehicle, animal endangerment, possession of narcotics and various weapons charges, police said.
While the internet makes it easy to buy and sell items, police encourage the public to carry out transactions at the police department if they ever feel uncomfortable.
