Friendly Burglar Pets Victim’s Dog Before Stealing $1300 Bicycle, Police Hunting for Suspect

A golden retriever gets a satisfying belly rub from an unexpected visitor-a burglar.

The San Diego Police Department released CCTV footage showing a suspected thief trying to steal a bicycle from the victim's garage.

But the household's dog wanted a pet.

The man was heard in the video greeting the watchdog as it jumped up to lick him, the Washington Post said.

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Peculiar turn of events

The alleged burglary took place on Diamond Street in Pacific Beach at 10:40 p.m. on July 15.

The suspect was about to leave the garage after he stole a 2019 black Electra 3-speed bicycle with an estimated retail value of $1,300 when the dog arrived.

The man seemed to find the cute dog too endearing and stopped mid-theft to play with him.

The Unilad reported that the man mounts the bike stand, then kneels down and begins to pet the dog, saying, "You're the coolest dog I've ever known. I also adore you. You are really sweet."

He also gave some unsolicited advice to the owner of the dog, telling him: "Where's your dad? Your dad should know not to leave the garage open."

Police described the man-pet encounter on Facebook as "a rather peculiar turn of events."

The police said the suspect is still at large, and they are hoping that the viral footage may provide some leads.

"We are still looking for the subject. That's why we advertised this on social media, but hopefully we can get some tips from the public," San Diego Police Department Lt. Brian Brecht told NBC News.

The authorities described the suspect as a white male, around 30 years old, and said that he was wearing a blue and white hat, a grey shirt, and orange athletic shoes.

Can dogs prevent burglar?

An owner of a private security firm in the United States said that according to multiple accounts from burglars, they preferred houses without a dog.

Louis Wood said a barking dog, regardless of size and breed, may be enough to make a thief decide to take his business elsewhere-to a residence with no possible dangers.

"A good mindset for a homeowner to be in is how can I make my house as unappealing to rob as possible," he said, as quoted by CNet.

The concept of dogs barking as a deterrent is so common that Amazon even offers recordings of dogs barking as a security measure on its Echo smart speakers.

However, a study published in the journal Society and Animals shows a different scenario.

Researchers from the University of Louisville discovered that households with licensed dogs had 1.71 percentage points lower property crime rates than households without licensed canines.

Experts agreed that using a dog as your sole security measure is not a good idea.

"Lock your house. If you have an alarm, activate that alarm and be aware of your surroundings. If you are going to leave for a while, let your neighbors know that you're out of town," Brecht said

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