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NORTHFIELD - Following an elaborate sting operation, a stolen Yorkshire terrier - held hostage for $300 - has been returned to its owner thanks to the Northfield Police Department.

Meanwhile, the dog's alleged captor, a 26-year-old Pleasantville man, has been arrested on charges of extortion and theft.

It all started on Aug. 6, when Roxie, a 2-year-old Yorkie with epilepsy and a bad knee, went missing from Margie Valles' Zion Road home.

Since then, "It's actually been a long story," Valles said Thursday.

"I did my homework," she said. "I went to the police. I sent out 50 notices to vets and the SPCA. I posted ads anywhere. It was a matter of time before she got sick anyway, and somebody would have to take her to the vet."

The first lead? A person who called to say Roxie had been spotted on a porch on Shore Road - but when Valles got there, she was told that "two ladies" had come and taken Roxie away.

After that odd situation, she contacted the police again. She also took out a Lost and Found ad in The Press of Atlantic City

"MISSING." it read, before giving info on Roxie's description. "Has epilepsy. Needs meds. REWARD!"

It was that ad, Valles said, that spurred a woman to call in with another tip.

Roxie, the woman said, was none other than the dog she saw being walked up and down the streets of Pleasantville for a week and a half.

"I explained to this woman that the dog has epilepsy," Valles said, "and that she'll have seizures. I said, 'Please help me get my dog back!'"

The woman talked with the man in possession of the dog, Valles said, and was told Valles could have the dog back - for $300. The story, Valles said, was that "somebody had sold the dog to this person, and they wouldn't give me the dog without me paying $300 to get back their money."

The next move: the police again.

"They actually set up this undercover operation," she said. "The guy sent his girlfriend to give back the dog. He wanted to meet in Pleasantville."

Valles sat in a nearby car, ready to ID the dog on sight.

"It was pretty intense," she said. "They were really serious. I thought, 'Oh my gosh! All this for my dog.'"

James Wills, 26, of Pleasantville, was arrested by the Northfield Criminal Investigations Division and charged with extortion and theft, Capt. Randy Clark said in a statement. Wills was released on a summons pending a court appearance Sept. 2.

So it was a happy reunion for Roxie and Valles - which is all the more remarkable, according to Nancy Beall, the president of the Atlantic County SPCA. Dognappings like this one, though extremely rare in Atlantic County, don't tend to end well.

"It's not real common in this area," Beall said. "In 21 years, we maybe had three or four (similar cases), and they sadly didn't have the dogs."

Roxie's alleged captors "didn't take good care of her," Valles said. "She had fleas and gum in her hair. We had to call a vet. We're just getting her to readjust. She's doing OK today. ... She's getting back to her normal, bratty self."

Valles - who said she prayed every night during Roxie's disappearance - added that while she's grateful for everyone who's helped her, she's also become a little more hardened.

"I'm now more wary that these kind of things can happen," she said.

Beall, for her part, summed up the matter succinctly.

"I think it's despicable,"said Beall of the alleged dognapper. "I can't believe this person was that stupid."

E-mail Steven Lemongello:

SLemongello@pressofac.com

16 comments:

• suave64 (51) posts 9:22 am

  This is the pathetic country we now live in. An animal gets better response for solving a crime than people in this country. The politicans in DC divert billions of dollars in social security payments into the general fund instead of SS for decades and now they claim we're running out of money for it? It "was" a funded mandate until all the jokers in DC changed the law. Just like when they changed the law in 1999 to allow financial entities to "legally gamble" on wall street, hence our current problems. And then there's the Bernie Madoff clown who literally laughs at the Fed while living the good life until regulators finally decide to investigate him.

• 93Ford (81) posts 12:01 pm

  If you are so worried about children why not take a closer look at the ones the "extorter" has. They are probably living in the best atmosphere which fosters/nurtures good quality citizens! The apple (probably) won't fall far from the tree. A bad person is a bad person regardless of WHAT crimes they commit AND because someone cares about their pet and has a problem with some low life stealing from them doesn't make them a "C" you next Tuesday! BTW, the abuse children receive (physically and mentally) more than likely starts with sh*t like this!

• STONECRAB (47) posts 10:27 am

  CHILDREN ARE ABUSED AND KILLED EVERY DAY AND A C___T LIKE YOU IS WORRIED ABOUT A PURSE POOCH.

• Notamused (117) posts 9:49 am

  Pinheads, I guess you’d let that MF steal something of yours and you’d say it’s okay. And we ain’t in Korea and this ain’t Michael Vick’s backyard. Pinheads…

• STONECRAB (47) posts 8:41 am

  IN KOREA THAT DOGGIE IS A SNACK ! IN MIKE VICKS BACKYARD THAT DOGGIE IS A TREAT FOR A PITTIE !

• 93Ford (81) posts 8:17 am

  They are indictable crimes: "extortion and theft". A value of over $250 (Yorkie's are worth at least $500) makes it a CRIME and INDICTABLE. Add to it the idea that a dog like a "family member" and you have an interesting story. Either way it's a case, like any other the police have to follow through with (and should). I've got a simple idea: If you find the dog, give it back like a normal human being should do. Problem solved!!

• THATSINSANE (238) posts 10:55 pm

  The FBI will be performing a "STING" on the Northfield PD SOON!

• THATSINSANE (238) posts 10:50 pm

  Ms Valles appears to be one them "SHELTERED" air heads. She should probably never go outside of Northfield....It's dangerous out here in the "REAL WORLD"....Even the Northfield cops avoid the "REAL WORLD".

• THATSINSANE (238) posts 10:42 pm

  Are you FRIGGIN' kiddin' me? A "STING"? A FRIGGIN" "STING" operation for a F*^KIN dog? OH the Northfield Police actually spent TAXPAYER MONEY to perform a "STING" for a DOG? ....LOL....

• JoeBrokeler (101) posts 3:31 pm

  The punishment defenitely does not fit the crime. If he shot my hand off he would get less time. Because its a cop they have to set an example I guess...

• RBLP04 (2) posts 2:42 pm

  All I can say is THANKGOD FOR THE NORTHFEILD POLICE DEPT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I am so elated for the owner to have her beloved dog back. Unless you are truly an animal lover you could never imagine the pain this woman went through. You must be so careful with your pets, this is a sick world and people are out to rob you of anything and everything. Also, i see so many ads for people wanting to 'GIVE PETS TO A GOOD HOME". Please beware of who you are "giving your pets to", take them to the humane society where potential owners can be screened. There are too many sick people out there who have no reguard for animals. Anyway, I wish the owner and her yorkie many happy years together. GOD BLESS.

• gchernya (40) posts 1:22 pm

  If owner was not related to police, they would not even spit on the case like this. And how much a reward owner had in mind when she wanted a dog back - $10? That is the lesson for everybody - never return anything perceved stolen - no vallet, no dog, no nothing. It is so easy to accuse you to still some money from the vallet, to give fleas to the dog and so force... The accidental owner should have just dropped the dog at SPCA if he got even a sniff of dog being considered stolen (nevermind that they would put it out of its misery very promtly), but instead greedy ghetto blockhead decided to become a police statistic.

• spanky (26) posts 11:24 am

  the police should have paid the 300 bucks instead of wasting thousands in tax payers money to track down this damn dog...

• weisenthal (293) posts 11:41 pm

  Souless scum.

• executioner1 (307) posts 3:52 pm

  Scumbag. Stealing a sick dog what a piece of excrement.

• todfiat (0) posts 1:54 pm

  why didn't the kidnapper release the ailing dog when the dog told him it was sick? did the perp think the mutt's malaise was owing to the "dog days of August"?

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