74-year-old hit while trying to stop person from stealing car with dog inside, cops say

A 7-year-old dog is still missing after someone stealing its owner’s car drove off with it, Utah officials said.

Police responded to a gas station on July 23 in Salt Lake City on reports of a stolen car, according to a July 25 news release by the Clearfield Police Department.

The 74-year-old dog owner was inside the gas station when a woman stole the keys to her Lexus, cops said.

When the victim tried to stop the woman from stealing her car, “the suspect struck the victim with a portion of the car,” officials said.

The woman suffered minor injuries, police said.

The accused thief left the gas station with the owner’s 7-year-old Shih Tzu named Reo inside the car, cops said.

Officials said the woman didn’t know the suspect and that the theft was random.

Later that day, cops received reports that the woman’s car had been located, officials said. They attempted to stop the car at a traffic stop but the suspect fled.

Police eventually found the car abandoned but Reo remains missing, cops said.

Officials said the investigation is ongoing and they are trying to locate a possible suspect.

This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 11:50 AM with the headline "74-year-old hit while trying to stop person from stealing car with dog inside, cops say."