Man tells grandfather to bail him out or he won’t say where family dog is, TN cops say
A 23-year-old man called his grandfather with an ultimatum — either he bails him out of jail or he won’t tell him where he left the family dog before he got arrested, Tennessee police said.
Hamilton County police responded to reports of extortion and animal cruelty just before 10 p.m. Feb. 17 in Hixon, according to an affidavit shared with McClatchy News.
Police said the 23-year-old had been in the Home Depot parking lot with his mother earlier in the day, but when his mom came out of the store, he, his mom’s dog and the vehicle were gone.
Then, the man called his grandfather telling him he had been arrested and was in the Hamilton County Jail, police said.
When the grandfather asked about the dog and the car, the 23-year-old said he would not tell him where they were unless he posted his bond, the affidavit said.
Officers said they later located the vehicle, which was locked with the dog inside, at a Walmart parking lot where the man was arrested.
The 23-year-old is charged with theft of property, cruelty to animals and extortion, according to the affidavit.
He is set to appear in court March 7, according to police records. Bond has not been posted as of Feb. 20.
Hixson is about a 10-mile drive northeast form Chattanooga.
