ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — A jury has convicted a 33-year-old man on charges related to his role in the theft of two puppies from a store in Centennial.
Jonathan Muniz, 33, was found guilty on charges of robbery, theft (felony), conspiracy to commit a felony theft and third-degree assault, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office. His sentencing is scheduled for December.
Based on the evidence that was presented at trial, Muniz carried out a plan to steal the two English Bulldog puppies — valued at more than $4,200 each — with his two accomplices, identified as Timothy Davis and Porfiria Tacorante, from Perfect Pets in Centennial on Feb. 21, 2025.
Inside the store, Davis faked a seizure to distract store employees while Muniz grabbed the two puppies., the district attorney's office said. As Muniz tried to leave the store, he pushed past one employee who had been trying to stop him and kicked another employee in the face after they tackled him, the district attorney's office said. He dropped both puppies, stood up and grabbed them, and then ran out the door to a waiting getaway car.
You can watch security footage from this incident in the video below.
After the news reported on the theft to help identify the suspects, a woman who had allegedly purchased one of the stolen puppies returned it. The second puppy was never found.
Muniz was convicted on the charges following a three-day jury trial.
The cases for his two co-defendants are pending. Tacorante has an arraignment scheduled for Oct. 24.
"The store employee who bravely intervened that day was put in harm’s way because of Mr. Muniz’s selfish and egregious actions," Deputy District Attorney Makena Granger said. "No one should fear being assaulted at their workplace simply for trying to protect animals in their care. Our office is proud to have secured justice in this case."
“Stealing defenseless puppies is more than a crime against property – it’s an attack on our community’s sense of decency,” Deputy District Attorney Erica Saluta added. “Cruelty and theft have no place in our community. The store employees put themselves in harm’s way to protect those puppies, and this verdict makes clear that we will hold offenders accountable.”
The same month of this incident, surveillance footage showed two women stealing puppies from the store. In 2022, suspects stole puppies from the store on three different occasions. Thieves were caught again on camera stealing a puppy in August 2018.
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