A canine coach who allegedly tried to substitute a Palo Alto resident’s German shepherd with one other canine after failing to return the pet to its proprietor will face costs, the Palo Alto Police Department has confirmed.
A Santa Clara County Superior Court decide issued a felony warrant for Josephine Marie Ragland, 28, on Nov. 10 charging grand theft of a companion animal and grand theft after the https://www.paloaltoonline.com/information/2023/01/15/missing-dog-mystery-sparks-police-investigation disappearance of Scott, a pure-bred German shepherd she had been employed to coach.
Ragland, who presently resides in Connecticut, can also be dealing with felony costs in a Massachusetts case after a canine she took to coach died in her care.
Scott’s proprietor, Carolina Bruchilari, gave the canine to Ragland to coach in December 2022 after seeing an advert for her providers on Thumbtack, a home providers app.
After being interviewed by Bruchilari and her husband, Ragland took the canine on Dec. 18, 2022, saying she would convey him again on Jan. 2. Bruchilari obtained updates on Scott’s progress together with pictures from Ragland.
But on Jan. 2, the coach known as to say she had a household emergency and would convey the canine again on Jan. 4 as an alternative, Bruchilari stated throughout a January interview.
Ragland returned with an imposter as an alternative, Bruchilari stated. The substitute was carrying Scott’s Apple tag tracker, nevertheless it did not have the identical coloring or physique form as Scott.
Ragland advised police that Scott had been left with a person in Humboldt County whereas she was out of city. She claimed no accountability for the canine. She additionally advised Bruchilari that Scott had died.
“There’s no return to facilitate,” Ragland wrote in a textual content message to Bruchilari. “The canine is most undoubtedly useless. Broke by a window display in the midst of the evening, and (the canine sitter) did not see till the morning.
“It was throughout the large storm, he searched throughout and located blood streaks and clumps of the dogs (sic) fur, in addition to a part of a paw/arm, so we are able to solely think about,” the textual content acknowledged.
But as police continued their investigation, Ragland apparently moved out of California and arrange one other itemizing, once more on Thumbtack, allegedly utilizing a false identify and claiming to be a canine coach.
A Massachusetts household gave their French bulldog, Charlie, to Ragland, paying her $1,500, North Reading police Chief Mark Zimmerman stated in a press release. The canine was not returned on the designated date, Sept. 16.
Ragland allegedly claimed the bulldog had been struck and killed by a automotive and that she had buried him in her yard in Connecticut. Investigators discovered the canine’s stays greater than 35 minutes from her home, in Norwich, Connecticut, in accordance with paperwork obtained by Massachusetts information outlet WFSB 3.
A necroscopy carried out by the University of Connecticut decided the bulldog was emaciated on the time of its demise, Zimmerman stated.
Ragland faces felonies within the Massachusetts case: larceny over $1,200 by false pretense and intimidating a witness, in accordance with court docket paperwork. She has pleaded not responsible.
Palo Alto police Capt. James Reifschneider stated the warrant hasn’t but been served since Ragland stays in custody on the East Coast dealing with a number of felony costs there.
“It is unlikely Ms. Ragland would return to California till the Massachusetts case resolves,” he stated in an e mail.
