Michigan man accused of stealing dog, then attempting to sell it to actual owner
Ownership and custody of a brindle-colored French bulldog in Michigan have been resolved, after police say a potential sale of the dog by a suspected thief was thwarted.
Troy Police Department detailed the initial mixup and the criminal investigation that resulted in a report issued Tuesday.
Police got involved on April 22 when the dog's owner and the dog's finder arrived at the police station and asked to speak with an officer. The finder said she discovered the French bulldog in her backyard earlier in the day. She then posted a photo of the dog to Facebook in an attempt to identify and locate the owner.
A man then contacted her on the social platform, claiming to be the dog's owner. He provided photos and other information that led her to believe that story, police said, and she released the dog to him.
Later in the day, the dog's actual owners contacted her.
Once the mix-up was realized, they attempted to reach the man who had picked up the dog earlier. They were unsuccessful.
They did learn that the dog was listed for sale online.
The next day, the dog's actual owner arranged a meeting with the suspect and posed as an interested buyer. The meeting site was arranged near the DMC Children's Hospital on Big Beaver Road, and Troy police went to that location.
On arrival, the officers found the dog, the suspect's vehicle and the dog's actual owner.
The suspect, identified as Malik Deshawn Motley, 24, of Detroit, was taken to the Troy Police Lock-Up Facility. He was arraigned April 23 at 52-4 District Court on a felony count of larceny between $1,000 and $20,000.
In the meantime, the dog has been safely reunited with its owner.
