Orange County, California, prosecutors are investigating what appears to be the kidnapping followed by recent return to Santa Ana Police of a Eukanuba prize-winning bulldog worth more than $10,000.
In mid-December the one and one-half year old bulldog named Bubba was supposedly lured from MK Printing, after wandering out an open door of the Santa Ana business. Following the kidnapping, Huntington Beach-based owners Richard Truong and Suzanne Stephens informed the Santa Ana Police Department that they'd received a picture text message of Bubba in addition to dozens of telephone calls from the two men allegedly responsible for the kidnapping of Bubba the bulldog.
Bubba recently placed Second in the Eukanuba dog show in Long Beach, California, and is valued at more than $10,000. When the bulldog was first kidnapped, his owners immediately offered a $2,000 reward. That reward was raised to $3,500 the day before Bubba's owners received phone communication. No ransom for Bubba was paid. Alleged kidnapping suspects called the Santa Ana Police Department station on Christmas Eve, arranging to meet police officers in the city, where Bubba was handed over to police without incident.