VINITA PARK, Mo. — One of two French bulldogs stolen from a St. Louis County woman was thrown from a third-story window Thursday as police were closing in, court documents said.
James Perry, 18, of Pagedale, and Landon Allen, 23, of St. Louis, were both charged with second-degree burglary and two counts of stealing $750 or more.
According to a probable cause statement from Vinita Park police, the pair broke into a home on Stillwater Drive through a window and took two French bulldogs, 2-year-old Zelda and 4-month-old Little Tory.
Investigators found two French bulldogs matching their description being sold online for $5,000 apiece. The owner confirmed that they were her dogs.
Police executed a sting operation at a home on Maple Avenue on Thursday, posing as people who wanted to buy one of the dogs. As the officers began the transaction, other team members stepped in and arrested an unnamed woman who was trying to sell Zelda.
The woman admitted during questioning that Allen and Perry had bragged to her that they had broken into a home and stolen the dogs, documents said.
She told police that Little Tory was at her apartment on Goodfellow Boulevard. As officers approached the building, the puppy was "hurled" from a third-story window, documents said.
Perry and Allen locked themselves in the apartment and were later taken into custody, police said.
Little Tory was treated for injuries from the fall and expected to survive. He and Zelda have both been reunited with their owner.
When officers arrested Perry and Allen, each man was in possession of two guns and a "large amount of suspected fentanyl," according to court documents. Allen is also on probation for pleading guilty in 2022 to felony drug charges and felony resisting arrest.
Allen's bond was set at $150,000. Perry's bond was set at $100,000.
Prosecutors intend to bring the case before a grand jury.
