Armed robbers forced victims to disrobe, pistol-whipped them before stealing French bulldog

CULVER CITY, Calif. - Police in Culver City are still searching for three armed robbery suspects and a stolen French Bulldog that was dognapper last Tuesday.

Just before 10 p.m. on April 5, Culver City Police responded to the Astro Motel, located at 3850 Sepulveda Blvd., following a call about an armed robbery.

The three victims told officers that four suspects entered their motel room displaying handguns. The suspects forced the victims to disrobe, and then "pistol-whipped" the victims with their handguns in the head and face.

The suspects then made off with multiple pieces of the victim’s property, including cell phones and one of the victim’s two-month-old French Bulldog, police said. 

The suspects fled on foot through the east alley of Sepulveda Blvd. No detailed description of the suspects was available, but police said they were all in their 20s to 30s, and they were wearing dark clothing and blue surgical gloves at the time of the attack.

The victims sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries as a result of being struck by the suspects and were treated at a local hospital.

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Culver City Detectives were able to identify one of the suspect's as a Los Angeles resident with an extensive criminal history, though police did not release his name. The suspect was arrested on April 7, with a loaded handgun on him at the time of the arrest.

The case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, who filed three counts of home invasion robbery, two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and one count of a felon in possession of a firearm.

The three additional suspects are still outstanding and the French Bulldog has not been located.

Anyone with any information or questions regarding this incident was asked to contact the Culver City Police Department’s Public Information Officer, Sergeant Eddie Baskaron at 310-253-6316.

In the last year, there has been a rash of thefts of valuable French Bulldogs; some at gunpoint, including Lady Gaga’s treasured Frenchies. Depending on their pedigree, this desirable breed can go for as much as $5,000 in large cities like Los Angeles. 

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