Man charged in pet boarding van theft in Lincoln Park

A man was charged after a van full of dogs was taken off the street in Lincoln Park on Tuesday morning.

Chicago police said Edwin Herrera, 46, was charged with felony counts of possessing a stolen vehicle, possessing burglary tools, and possessing a stolen or altered title or registration. He was also charged with misdemeanor counts of trespassing, theft, and animal cruelty.

The theft happened around 11 a.m. outside Animal Loves Pet Salon on N. Clybourn Avenue near the intersection with Greenview Avenue.

David Cox, owner of Markay's Castle of the Dogs in Tippecanoe, Indiana, was dropping off dogs at the salon when he said someone got into the van and drove away.

Police later tracked the van down in an alley near Lakewood and Oakdale avenues in Lakeview. The thief wasn't there, but all the dogs were, as well as some stolen lawn equipment. Police said the thief or thieves also switched the van's Indiana license plates for Illinois plates.

The dogs were reunited with their owners, who said the hours their beloved pets were missing were terrifying.