Police are investigating the theft of two stolen dogs -- said to be worth a combined $3,000 -- from a car in the parking lot of a Wawa in Philadelphia's Port Richmond neighborhood as the animals' owner slept.
According to police, the incident happened at about 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at a Wawa located along the 3900 block of Aramingo Avenue.
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WATCH HEREAt that time, officials said, a man -- later identified at Lamont Purnsley, 38 -- removed a pair of dogs from a vehicle in the parking lot at that Wawa while the owner slept inside.
Officials said the animals -- a pair of Shiba Inu dogs, one black and tan in color, the other orange and white -- were valued at over $3,000.
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SIGN UP Surveillance footage showed Purnsley taking the dogs and lifting them over a fence before fleeing the area on foot, officials said.
Purnsely was detained after the incident and, officials claim, he admitted to taking the animals. But, police said, he told officers he took the animals to a South Philly property where, Purnsley claimed the animals' owner and her boyfriend collected the dogs.
However, officials said the owner did not recover the dogs and the animals are still missing.
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Purnsley has been charged with theft and related offenses.
An investigation into this incident is ongoing.
