Officers arrested a man and returned a stolen dog named Tucker to its rightful owner over the weekend, police announced Wednesday.
Santa Ana Police said that Tucker, a Chihuahua mix, was stolen from its owner’s front yard in the area of North Wright Street.
“Thanks to our patrol officers’ quick action during a traffic stop, Tucker was found in the back seat of a car and safely returned to its rightful owner,” said the police department in an X post.
Santa Ana PD attached a video of the arrest in the X post, showing officers conducting a traffic stop on a suspect whose identity was not immediately made available.
“Remember when I asked you if there’s anything illegal in the car?” an officer asked while cuffing the man. “What’s that dog’s name?”
The man responded, saying it was his friend’s dog.
However, the officers soon recognized the dog.
“Is that Tucker?” the officer detaining the suspect asked another officer.
“That dog’s name is Tucker?” the officer then asked the suspect, to which he replied, “Yeah.”
“Awe man, that’s an unlucky day for you,” the officer said to the suspect.
The video then switched to body cam footage, showing an officer gently approaching Tucker, who was seen tucked in blankets in a basket.
The officers took Tucker out of the suspect’s car, and then the images that followed show Tucker, in a shirt, sitting next to the officer holding its leash.
According to the department, Tucker was safely returned to its owner.
“A happy ending for this pup,” Santa Ana PD concluded.
