Family rattled after puppies stolen at gunpoint outside Harrisonville gas station
HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (KCTV) — Amanda Marquis said she and her 7-year-old daughter are traumatized after two of her puppies were stolen at a Harrisonville gas station this week.
“She doesn’t feel safe anywhere now. Just very jumpy and emotional. She was screaming she doesn’t want to die, is what she was screaming. She lost her voice now because she was scared, ”said Marquis.
Her dog gave birth to her first litter on April 30th. Marquis said this was her first-ever attempt at selling puppies but wanted to make sure they found a safe home.
They met with potential buyers, Donnell and Melanie Mendez, in the parking lot of the Sapp Bros Travel Center in Harrisonville at 27603 SW Outer Rd. which is about an hour from where Marquis lives.
As Marquis was showing them the two puppies, two men in masks came over to her vehicle. She said they were aggressively asking her to take one of them out of the crate.
“I was kind of like nervous, like, he was so pushy I didn’t know what he was going to if I didn’t get it out so I thought maybe he’ll just hold the puppy for a minute and give it back , I can hope, because my babies were in the car. ”
The two men grabbed the dogs and ran across the street to the getaway car.
“We had someone who had seen everything happen that told us after they took off that there was one car parked on the road over next to the hotel. That the men had jumped into and she stood there by me going, ‘oh, what just happened?’ like she didn’t know what happened. “
Marquis’ friend chased after them – all while her two children, a one-year-old and seven-year-old were watching in the car.
Harrisonville police posted online they are searching for the Mendez’s for their involvement.
A Facebook account belonging to a Melanie Mendez responded directly to the police department’s Facebook post, saying, “This is false information … I don’t have her dogs. I’m being accused of something I didn’t do, and I’m not even gonna reply anymore bc I already talked to the sheriff and the lady herself blocked me the one saying I supposedly took her dogs. “
Marquis said it would cost about $ 2,000 for each puppy but the money doesn’t matter right now as she and her family are still scarred by the incident.
“We’re just trying to do everything that we can to make sure no one else is a victim to it, especially children.”
Marquis said they are in active communication with the Harrisonville Police Department to find these two wanted individuals as well as the two puppies. Harrisonville Police asks if you know anything about their whereabouts or the puppies to call them at 816-380-8940.
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