St. Paul teen charged with violent dognapping in Payne-Phalen neighborhood

ST. PAUL, Minn. — An 18-year-old man is accused of violently stealing a dog from its owner last week in St. Paul.

Lonnie Jenkins is facing one count of first-degree aggravated robbery, according to a complaint filed in Ramsey County on Tuesday.

Around 4 p.m. on April 24, a woman had been walking her 7-year-old French Bulldog/Boston Terrier mix named Clementine, or Tiny,  near North Arkwright Street and York Avenue when she noticed two men following her, the complaint says.

When the woman arrived on her front steps, the men asked about her dog and then attempted to steal it. She screamed while holding onto Clementine's leash before one of the men pushed her to the ground and the other grabbed her dog.

The men ran west as the victim called 911. Surveillance video allegedly shows the two men walking in the neighborhood before a maroon SUV picked them up.

The woman told police her dog suffers from inflammatory bowel disease and anxiety, and she was worried about what would happen if Clementine did not get her medication.

The woman posted flyers around the city with Clementine's information. A man eventually called her, saying he believed Clementine was located at a residence on the 500 block of Selby Avenue.

Police spoke to the man who told them that another man had asked him if he was interested in purchasing a French Bulldog for $700. He followed the man into the residence on Selby Avenue, where he says he saw an older female French Bulldog without a collar who appeared to be sick and lethargic.

"The concerned citizen was 100 percent sure that the dog was Clementine based on her markings," the criminal complaint states.

Authorities identified Jenkins as a resident at the unit where Clementine had been seen. The SUV that picked up the dognappers belongs to Jenkins' mother, charges say.

While executing a search warrant at Jenkins' residence, police found Celmentine on a living room couch. They were able to confirm her identity by scanning her chip. A firearm was also recovered during the search.

Using phone data, police say they were able to place Jenkins in the area of the robbery at the time it occurred.

Jenkins was not home during the search and is not in custody as of Tuesday.

Jenkins is also wanted in connection to aggravated robberies in Minneapolis.