Woman thinks local man stole gift puppy

A Madison County woman asked Commerce police to arrest a local man she thinks stole a pit bull puppy that was to be a Christmas gift for her daughter.

Commerce officers declined.

The 29-year-old white female came into the police department on Dec. 7 to report the loss of the four-month-old dog and told police that someone left her a note saying the animal was at a “blue house across from the old Bi Lo” and identifying the name of a white male suspect.

Two days later police encountered the man, who reported that he’d kept the dog in a fenced-in yard, only to return home one day to find the gate open and the dog gone. He denied selling the dog, the report said.

The report said the victim insisted that the man be arrested for stealing the puppy out of her yard in Madison County. The report also indicated that the victim had never reported the theft to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.