A sense of relief washed through the Memphis community Thursday after a stolen dog, Hershey, was located and returned to its rightful owner. The dog had been caught up in a harrowing carjacking incident that left its owner victimized and temporarily vehicleless. According to a report by Action News 5, the Memphis Police Department is still on the hunt for the two culprits who last Saturday posed as stranded drivers before assaulting a helpful motorist at a Shell gas station on Summer Avenue.
The owner, who faced the misfortune of coming across the robbers, was beaten and stripped of his black 2006 Chevrolet Silverado - Hershey worryingly still inside the vehicle. Communication released by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office detailed how Hershey was found adrift in the Waverly Farms area and later reunited with his owner, as seen squinting through the sunlight that was embraced by the dog as the video was shot, according to the office's announcement. Deputies made the discovery around 7:55 a.m. before that reuniting scene, a post on X by the Shelby County Sheriff's office.
Earlier today, around 7:55 a.m., deputies found a brown lab in the area of Waverly Farms in north Shelby County. After investigating, they discovered that the dog had been taken during a carjacking in Memphis. The deputies contacted the owner and successfully reunited Hershey… pic.twitter.com/8l18tywVo8
— ShelbyTNSheriff (@ShelbyTNSheriff) June 6, 2024
Details provided by Local Memphis indicate that the victim was in the process of filling up a gas jug when he was attacked by the two suspects wielding firearms. They reportedly assaulted him several times, forcibly took his car keys, and fled in his truck with Hershey inside. The second suspect followed in a silver Chevrolet sedan. The Sheriff's Office was able to piece together the dog's ordeal after the deputies found him, later connecting the dots back to the violent carjacking.
Video of the suspects later surfaced, providing investigators with additional leads. The Memphis Police Department ascertained from surveillance footage at a Citgo gas station on Jackson Avenue, the suspects were shown, emphasizing the importance of this video in their ongoing investigation. Those with any information on the two suspects are encouraged by law enforcement to come forward as the search continues for those responsible for not just the theft of a vehicle, but the temporary theft of peace from Hershey's owner and a segment of the Memphis community.
