BARNEGAT – Police make an arrest in an alleged dog theft, although the beagle puppy is still missing.
Barnegat Police confirm 40-year-old Robert Johnson of First Street in Barnegat was arrested earlier today in connection with the theft of the dog that had been reported missing on October 24.
According to posts on Facebook, it was thought that the dog either escaped from a fenced-in yard or was taken.
While Johnson was processed and released, police posted on Facebook that the dog has not been recovered.
Barnegat resident Gary Daley tells Jersey Shore Online “there’s a 10-year-old girl who is heartbroken because her new puppy is missing.”
According to a Facebook post in the Barnegat Pride!!! group, the dog’s name is Luna.
Some residents on the Barnegat Police Facebook were critical of the decision to release Johnson without first locating the dog. The police responded by saying “whether someone is released or lodged in jail is governed by the law, not at the discretion of the police department.”
Anyone with information should contact Barnegat Police Detective William Hetrick at 609-698-5000. Hetrick was also the officer who made the arrest.
