$1K Ransom For Stolen French Bulldog Leads To Arrests: Police

WASHINGTON, DC — Yurman, a French bulldog stolen at gunpoint, was returned to his owner, Jaineen Brown, after police staked out a Papa John's pizza shop where suspected thieves seeking $1,000 for the dog waited.

On June 29 Brown was walking her pup in the 1700 block of Fort Davis Street, Southeast, when a thief approached her with a gun. The suspect took the dog and fled the scene in a vehicle. A distraught Brown shared her story on Facebook Live, and it gained traction. She told The Washington Post thieves had tried four times to steal Yurman before he was taken.

Brown received multiple phone calls from someone who claimed they bought Yurman not knowing he had been stolen. She urged them to turn the dog in to law enforcement and claim the $10,000 reward D.C. police had offered to anyone who provided information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who took Yurman, the Post reported. But the caller wanted to avoid law enforcement.

So the parties agreed to meet at the pizza place, where Metro Police waited Saturday morning near Pennsylvania Avenue and Alabama Avenue, Southeast and recovered Yurman.

Raphael Lambert Loundermon II, 27, and Khaliah Johnson, 27, both of Southeast, were arrested and charged with extortion and receiving stolen property, Metro Police said in a release on Sunday.

Detectives are still working to identify the robber who took Yurman. The suspect vehicle is a Honda with Virginia registration, possibly black in color. The suspect and vehicle were captured by surveillance cameras and can be seen in the photos below and in this video:

Anyone who can identify this suspect or has information about the theft is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department's TEXT TIP LINE at 50411. The Metropolitan Police Department is offering a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the crime.