There’s an old trope in movies and TV where a criminal will return to the scene of a crime shortly after it was committed. It’s a great way to create a sense of drama and to give an easy way for the heroes to catch the perpetrator, but does it happen in real life?
It doesn’t make much sense for a criminal to put themselves in a position to get caught, but neither does committing a crime in the first place.
If a criminal does return to the scene, it’s often so they can relive some of the sensations they felt while committing the crime.
Such was the case with alleged dog-napper Kyle Gariepy, 29.
On Friday, May 7, 2021, the Cambridge Police Department in Massachusetts reported that a 13-month-old German shorthaired pointer named “Titus” was stolen out of a parked vehicle. The department released footage of the alleged dog-napper walking the dog over the Boston University bridge.
Yesterday at approximately 12:32p, an unknown suspect broke into and entered a vehicle that was parked at\u00a0620 Memorial Drive\u00a0& stole a 13-month-old white German Short Haired Pointer out of the vehicle. The suspect was then observed walking the dog over the BU Bridge into Boston.pic.twitter.com/titQ0WvPMM— Cambridge Police\ud83d\udc6e\ud83c\udffd (@Cambridge Police\ud83d\udc6e\ud83c\udffd)
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The dog was wearing an orange collar with the name “Titu.”
If anyone has any information about this incident, they are strongly encouraged to call the Cambridge Police at 617-349-3300. #CambMA pic.twitter.com/iUQAO62u9L
— Cambridge Police👮🏽 (@CambridgePolice) May 8, 2021
The next day, members of the local 7NEWS crew, including Juliana Mazza and photojournalist John Guice, posted up in the parking lot where the dog was stolen to report on the theft. While the news crew was setting up, they noticed a man who looked like the person in the surveillance cam footage walking a dog that looked like Titus.
Guice walked over to the man, whose name is Kyle Gariepy, and struck up a conversation with him while the news team rolled the camera. Mazza then walked over and asked if she could pet the dog so she could surreptitiously see if he had a name tag.
When she found out the dog was Titus, she asked the man why he didn’t call the number on the tag and he said his phone was “broken.” This begged a follow-up question. It’s been a day, why haven’t you contacted the owner or the authorities?
#ICYMI: I HAD to repost this story told by the lovely @MeganAlexander of @InsideEdition ! It aired last night after #7News at 6pm!pic.twitter.com/KvW176Q6xQ— Juliana Mazza (@Juliana Mazza)
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Gariepy gave a very strange excuse for why he had the dog.
“He was just barking in the car, and I walked past the car, and I thought it was supposed to be a dog I was dog walking,” Gariepy told the crew. “It wasn’t a kidnapping. It was just a simple mistake.”
Why in the world would someone ask him to walk a dog that was in a parked car?
Gariepy’s story didn’t add up, so the news crew called the police and Gariepy stood there and waited until they arrived. Gariepy was arrested and charged with larceny of more than $1,200, and breaking and entering into a vehicle to commit a felony.
Just need to say how grateful I am to my photojournalist that day, John Guice! He actually spoke with the man first about how beautiful Titus was. As I walked over I quickly realized we found the dog and had the suspect. Wouldn\u2019t have been possible without him!https://twitter.com/InsideEdition/status/1391913529243049984\u00a0\u2026— Juliana Mazza (@Juliana Mazza)
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Later, the police called Titus’ owner Greg Siesczkiewicz and asked him to come and pick up his dog.
“I’m thrilled to have Titus back. I think, he is thrilled to have me back,” he told Inside Edition.
“I’m just glad that the person came back and I’m just glad that you guys were there,” Siesczkiewicz told 7NEWS. “If anyone ever sees this who questions the value of media, social media, broadcast media, this proves it.”
Source: https://www.upworthy.com/reporter-doing-a-story-on-a-stolen-dog-catches-dog-napper-on-camera-at-the-scene-of-the-crime