STOCKTON, Calif. — A support dog belonging to a 12-year-old boy with autism was stolen, along with the family car, Sunday afternoon in Stockton.
Cynthia Niswonger said she was returning with her son Neeko and a friend to San Diego after a visit with the boy's grandfather in Oregon. They stopped at the McDonald's along Charter Way near Interstate 5 around 3 p.m. when they went inside to grab some food. Niswonger said she left the dog, Sloan, inside the locked car with the air conditioning on while all three went inside. She said she periodically looked out the window to see if everything was fine.
"I did go and use the restroom," Niswonger said. "And, I believe at that point somebody got into our car and we came out just in time to see a man driving away in our car with our dog in it."
RELATED:
Niswonger's friend gave chase, but the man kept going. Neeko's iPad and luggage were also stolen, but she said the dog is what they care about the most.
"Any connection that he can make as a child, as a person with autism, animals sometimes get reactions and connections out of him that he can't always give," Niswonger said.
Late Monday afternoon, the family's stolen Ford Focus was found at the corner of 8th Street and American Street in south Stockton. However, their dog was not inside. The story has gotten a lot of attention on social media.
The family said a Stockton resident came forward offering a $200 reward for the safe return of the dog. If you see or find the dog, call the Stockton Police Department.
Continue the conversation with Kurt on Facebook.
Editor's note: An earlier headline claimed the boy was from Stockton and has since been corrected.