Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officials confirmed the arrest of a suspect linked to the recent theft of a dog named Pepper from a boat in Southeast Washington. The arrest came after a series of events beginning on the evening of October 11 when MPD officers responded to a distress call from the 100 block of Potomac Avenue, Southeast; according to the official report, they arrived to find a boat had been broken into and the dog stolen, as detailed on the MPD's website.

Pepper, the three-month-old black Cane Corso, became the subject of a police appeal for information after the incident, with images of the puppy widely circulated in the hope of securing her return. It was not long before a turn of fortune when a local resident, who had unwittingly purchased Pepper from an online advertisement, identified the pup as the stolen canine through these images and subsequently made the decision to return her to the rightful owner on October 19. Pepper was reported to be in good condition following her ordeal, this according to the MPD's release.

The investigation by MPD detectives culminated on October 31 with the arrest of Dante Eley, an 18-year-old resident of Southeast Washington who is now facing charges including Theft in the Second Degree and Destruction of Property, provided in the details of the MPD news release.