SPRING HILL, Fla. — An Amazon driver was charged after he allegedly stole a French bulldog while delivering packages in Spring Hill three days before Christmas.
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office said deputies arrived at a home on Copper Hill Drive to investigate the theft on Dec. 23, 2023. The dog's owner told them she let her one-year-old dog, Kali, outside around 9:15 a.m. on Dec. 22 when she noticed Kali escaped from the home's fenced-in backyard.
The owner told deputies she was able to find a neighbor, who said he saw Kali walk up to the suspect Reinier Revilla, 34, who was wearing an Amazon uniform and driving a white, older-model Chevrolet Cruze.
The neighbor added that he saw Revilla deliver a package to a home on Copper Hill and, after interacting with Kali, drove off with the dog following behind the car.
A second neighbor told the dog's owner that Revilla stopped his car on Larkenheath Drive, where she witnessed him pick up the dog and put it in his backseat before driving away.
The dog's owner originally reported the incident to an Amazon customer support representative, who told her to contact law enforcement. She then gave deputies a photo and detailed description of Kali, who has a retail value of $4,000.
Detectives said they were able to find the suspect's information on Jan. 16 and identify Revilla as the suspect. They then interviewed him at his home in Tampa about the stolen dog.
Revilla allegedly admitted to detectives that he took the dog. She was then recovered from a nearby residence and returned to her owner later in the day, deputies said.
HCSO called Revilla to tell him about his arrest warrant for grand theft. He turned himself in at the Hillsborough County Jail on Jan. 19, where he was later released after a $5,000 bond was posted.
