The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Four-legged victim of carjacking found safe
Vehicle, with dog in it, was stolen after violent attack at gas station.
It could have ended very differently for Daphne, a small terrier mix stolen from her 74-yearold owner Thursday during a violent carjacking.
Her owner, Rosa Smith, was punched in the face repeatedly before a man drove away from a DeKalb County gas station with her red Nissan Rogue, according to police.Daphne was still inside the vehicle.
It appears the dog was put out of the car sometime later in southwest Atlanta, where Candace
Thompson found her wandering in the road Thursday night.
“I figured she belonged to somebody,” Thompson told DeKalb police. “She was in great condition. She had a tag, and you know, I wanted to get her out of the road.”
Thompson said she tried calling the number on Daphne’s tag for a few days but never got a call back. She finally called police after a friend said she saw the dog on the news.
Officers went to pick up the terrier Sunday night.
Smith, a retired attorney, was hospitalized after the attack. She didn’t suffer any broken bones, but she was left battered and bruised with gashes on her forehead, mouth and cheeks, according to police. She also complained of extreme pain in her hips.
An update on Smith’s condition was not provided. Her Nissan has not been recovered.
In surveillance video of the incident, Smith was left on the ground in the parking lot of the Chevron on the corner of Gresham and Cook roads. Police are still searching for her attacker, as well as two other men they said got into the Nissan before it left the gas station.
Anyone with information is asked to call DeKalb County detectives at 404-786-7990. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and can be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477,texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website at atlantapolicefoundation.org.