Woman tries to steal puppy at gunpoint: police

[Blue_Tires]

A Kellyville woman who placed a for-sale ad for a Chihuahua received an unexpected response from a would-be purchaser, who allegedly pulled a gun and demanded the dog, saying she needed love.

The Kings Cross woman, 26, contacted dog owner Ashleigh Johnson, 24, at 9am yesterday in response to an advertisement in the Trading Post.

The woman made an appointment to buy the eight-week-old puppy, the last of a litter of four, and arrived at the house in Perkins Avenue, Kellyville, in Sydney's north-west, at 11.30am. A man waited outside in a car with an obscured number plate.

Police said the woman was seated in the lounge room and holding the puppy, named Diego, when she reached into a dog carry bag and pulled out a replica of a police-issue Glock pistol.

She said she was leaving without paying for the dog, advertised for $1500.

"She said she didn't want anyone to get hurt, but we had all of our family from Newcastle there and there were kids around," Ms Johnson said.


Ashleigh Johnson with her dog Diego. Photo: Natalie Roberts, Hills News
Ms Johnson's security-guard father Graham, 59, was sitting next to the woman and seized the gun, restraining her.

"If it wasn't serious it would be kind of laughable," Mr Johnson said, explaining that the woman seemed friendly and said she was an animal trainer from Zimbabwe.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/woman-tries-to-steal-puppy-at-gunpoint-police-20090928-g7wf.html