A Mesa man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a woman’s service dog, according to the Mesa Police Department.
Authorities said 38-year-old Geoffrey Washington had been temporarily staying with the victim when he asked to take her 4-year-old dog, Buddy — a Rottweiler, Mastiff and Golden Retriever mix — for a walk on Oct. 6.
When Washington failed to return, he later contacted the woman and told her the dog was now “ours,” refusing to bring him back.
Detectives learned that Washington had been arrested in Phoenix a few days later in an unrelated case and was still with Buddy at the time. Mesa police took Washington into custody on Oct. 9, charging him with theft, endangerment, and interfering with a service animal.
Buddy was located unharmed at the Arizona Humane Society and safely returned to his owner.
Police said the service dog had been paired with his owner after she suffered a traumatic brain injury. The dog is trained to detect low blood pressure and alert her before she faints. While Buddy was missing, the woman fainted and injured her neck.
