Man searches for dog stolen in car theft

LARGO (FOX 13) - A Bay area man is desperately looking for his 4-year-old min pin-pug mix after he says his car was stolen with the dog inside.

It happened outside of Bella Dora’s Pizza & Pasta in Largo Tuesday evening, when Miguel Laurencio, Jr. says he and his dog, Shady, made a quick stop in for takeout.

“I went in for two minutes to get my food, left my dog in there, came out and my car and dog were gone,” he explained Wednesday morning.

He wasn't gone long, but since he left the windows down and the keys in the ignition, it was just long enough for someone to hop in and take off with Shady still inside. 

He immediately called Largo PD and filed a report, but it was St. Pete PD who contacted him later that night with an update.

“We recovered my car last night with two flat tires,” Laurencio explained, adding that the suspect was apparently too intoxicated to explain what happened to Shady.

Deputies arrested 53-year-old Lisa Marie Parker, who has a long criminal history.

According to Laurencio, Parker could only say that Shady was let out of the car sometime during the drive from Bella Dora's to downtown St. Pete. 

While Laurencio is relieved to have his car back, he says it’s his dog he wants most. There is a $525 reward for Shady's safe return.

"I feel like I let him down because I protected him since he was a baby - I feel like I let him down. This dog has been my best friend since I got him. He has never left my side and they stole him from me. I got my car back, but I can't find him,” he said.

Anyone who spots the dog is asked to contact the Largo or St. Pete Police Departments.