West Hills Man Offers $50K After Carjacker Speeds Off With His Two Dogs

A West Hills man is offering a $50,000 cash reward for the safe return of his two dogs after a carjacker sped off with his SUV — and the pets still inside — near the intersection of Victory Boulevard and Platt Avenue on Monday afternoon. Darian Chin says he stepped into a McDonald's for just a few minutes with his dogs, Bailey and Buddy, waiting in the vehicle with the air conditioning running, when a woman jumped in and drove off around 5 p.m.

Chin told NBC Los Angeles that he ran back outside in time to grab the driver's side of his car and hold on, trying to stop the woman from driving away with his pets. Instead, the driver, described as approximately 20 years old, backed the vehicle up while Chin was still holding onto it before speeding out of the parking lot, according to the same report. The rear of Chin's car was damaged during the encounter, and he ultimately let go and called 911 to report the theft.

Two Beloved Dogs Left Inside the Stolen SUV

The dogs taken in the theft are Bailey, a 5-year-old Italian Greyhound, and Buddy, a 9-year-old Terrier mix, both belonging to Chin. The stolen vehicle is a black Lexus SUV fitted with a Yakima roof rack and bearing license plate 9VGK703, the station's report notes. Chin said the car also contains his registration and home address, adding a layer of concern beyond the missing pets.

Chin is offering the $50,000 reward for the safe return of both dogs, with no questions asked, and has said he is willing to pay anonymously if the animals are simply dropped off somewhere safe. It's a striking sum, but animal welfare tracking cited by Lancaster Puppies shows that only 10% to 23% of stolen dogs nationwide are ever reunited with their owners, a grim backdrop that likely explains the size of Chin's offer.

Why Small Purebred Dogs Are Frequent Targets

Small, purebred companion dogs like Italian Greyhounds and Terriers are often targeted by thieves for resale, ransom, or illegal breeding because of their high value and how easily they can be transported, according to the American Kennel Club. The organization also found that roughly 15% of reported pet thefts happen when animals are left unattended inside vehicles or outside businesses, which lines up with how Bailey and Buddy were taken while Chin was briefly inside the restaurant.

West Hills falls under the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles Police Department's Topanga Community Police Station, which patrols western San Fernando Valley communities across 31 square miles. It remains unknown whether Topanga Division detectives have pulled security footage from the commercial plaza near Victory and Platt or whether license plate readers have picked up plate 9VGK703 since the theft.

Part of a Broader Wave of Vehicle and Pet Thefts

This is not the first time West Hills has seen a brazen vehicle theft this year. Back in May, Hoodline reported on a five-person crew caught on camera stealing a pickup truck from a residential driveway in the same neighborhood. Citywide, motor vehicle thefts in Los Angeles hit a near two-decade high in 2023 with 25,825 reports, a 64% jump over pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to LAPD Compstat data analyzed by Crosstown LA.

Chin's case also echoes a disturbing national pattern of owners being dragged or injured while trying to stop vehicle-assisted dog snatchings. Just days earlier, a Detroit woman was dragged by a car after reaching through a window to stop thieves from taking her French Bulldog. Under California law, using a vehicle to drag or dislodge a victim during a carjacking can trigger additional felony enhancements for assault with a deadly weapon under Penal Code Section 245(a)(1), according to the Shouse Law Group.

Potential Charges the Suspect Could Face

Under California Penal Code Section 215, carjacking is defined as taking a vehicle from another person or their immediate presence against their will through force or fear, and it is classified as a violent felony punishable by three, five, or nine years in state prison, per FindLaw. Separately, stealing a companion animal valued at more than $950 constitutes felony grand theft under Penal Code Section 487e, a statute expanded by 2022's Assembly Bill 1290 to cover pet dogs, cats, and service animals, according to the Kraut Law Group.

Whether prosecutors will pursue those enhancements depends on facts investigators have not yet made public, including any surveillance footage from the shopping plaza and whether the suspect has been identified. For now, Chin is relying on the reward offer and public tips in hopes of getting Bailey and Buddy back home.