A California woman tried to stop thieves from making off with her valuable French bulldog last week and ended up on the hood of the getaway car for several blocks.
Ali Zacharias told KTLA she was having lunch at a Whole Foods in downtown Los Angeles on January 18, her dog Onyx on leash beneath her chair, when a woman approached and grabbed Onyx’s leash.
“I didn’t think that somebody was stealing my dog,” Zacharias recounted. “I thought it was a misunderstanding, so I said, ‘That’s my dog. Excuse me,’ and she wasn’t listening.”
Zacharias said she followed the woman to a getaway car, but there were four people inside, who pushed her out and locked the doors. Zacharias said she stepped in front of the car and screamed for help.
“Nobody came and the next thing I know, the car is driving into me and I fell onto the hood,” she said.
A passerby captured video of Zacharias clinging to the hood of the car as it sped down the street.
“It was horrifying,” Zacharias recalled. “As [the car] started to go faster and faster I’m like, ‘I’m about to die. This is my death. Right now. I’m about to die.’”
The thieves threw her off with a sharp turn and continued on their way.
French bulldogs are popular targets for dog thieves. Pop star Lady Gaga’s two French bulldogs were stolen, and her dog walker shot and critically injured, in 2021. Her dogs were eventually returned.
Zacharias is offering a substantial reward for Onyx’s safe return. Anyone with information can call Zacharias at 626-264-7923 or call the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-275-5273.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Featured image: @harrisonjamesmusic via KTLA]
