News4’s Aimee Cho reports on the death of a beloved pet stolen at gunpoint.
After a monthslong search, a bull dog named Bruno who was stolen at gunpoint from Northwest D.C. in April was found dead in Clinton, Maryland, according to the Prince George’s County Department of the Environment.
Bruno’s owner, Jamaica Harvey, said she's heartbroken.
“He’s not just a dog. He’s a part of my family and he deserves justice,” Harvey said.
Harvey’s boyfriend was walking Bruno in Brightwood Park on April 13 when four boys jumped out of an SUV with a gun, demanded the dog and drove off.
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Bruno’s body was identified by his microchip, but the cause and time of death remains unclear, D.C. police said.
“He was an amazing dog, and I’m getting a little emotional right now, but I would never take the fact that I knew that dog for granted,” Harvey said.
On the same day in April, within minutes, the thieves went to the Shaw neighborhood and stole another dog named Pablo. They then drove to Eckington and shot two people.
D.C. police found Pablo the next day at a home in Northeast D.C. and reunited him with his owners, Rick and Abby.
“When we got the call, it was just a giant weight off our shoulders, and just immediate happiness, tears,” said Rick Olecka, Pablo’s owner.
Harvey said she at least now has closure and is grateful to everyone who looked for Bruno.
“Anybody that has helped me, I just want to say thank you and I appreciate it, and I love D.C. community. You guys have helped me so much,” Harvey said.
Harvey said she is now working to get Bruno’s ashes and bring him home one last time to say goodbye.
D.C. police arrested seven people — four adults and three children — in the home where they found Pablo in April. The adults were released without charges.
Correction (Tuesday, Aug. 16 at 9:05 a.m.): It's unclear when Bruno's body was found.
