When 15-year-old Nickole Vasquez had her dog Luigi stolen on Monday, she thought she would never see him again. But thanks to diligent police work, she was reunited with him in a matter of days.
Nickole’s grandmother, Violeta Sanchez, was with her husband that morning when they picked up another granddaughter, six-year-old Carolyne Carrera, and Luigi from the girls’ home in Chicago. The family then went to a grocery store in Niles, Ill. Violeta went inside, and after being gone awhile, her husband and grandchild went in to look for her.
They left a window cracked open, but a door was accidentally left unlocked. When they returned to the car, the seven-month-old Pomeranian was gone.
“I got very scared and started looking,” Violeta said, with the assistance of a translator.
Police in Niles scoured over video footage from the area and identified two vehicles used in the theft. They were then able to connect them to a residence in Skokie. When police arrived at the domicile, they saw a woman with a dog in her arms attempting a stealthy getaway through a back door.
It was Luigi. The woman was stopped, and Luigi was confiscated from her. Adina Tiran is being charged with a felony count of burglary to auto.
On Thursday morning, Nickole woke up to the best sound she could ever imagine: Luigi barking.
“I heard this loud bark and thought it was in my head,” Nickole said, Luigi clutched in her arms. “This was one of the happiest mornings I’ve had.”
After the distressing incident, Nickole cherishes every moment with Luigi.
“Seeing him when I walk through the door, it relieves me,” she said.
