An Uber Eats driver is accused of making off with a New York woman’s dog after dropping off pizza over the weekend.
Surveillance video shows a man getting into an elevator with a dog on Saturday evening, KTLA sister station WPIX reports. He rides to the lobby and heads to his car, pooch in arms, before driving off. Owner Melanie Polanco, of Brooklyn, said Ella, a 6-month-old cocker spaniel poodle mix, probably got out when she opened the door.
Polanco didn’t realize Ella was missing right away; she thought the pup was in another room. Then Polanco realized Ella had gotten out when she opened the door for her pizza.
“I was crying. I was devastated; she’s gone. I couldn’t eat or sleep that night,” she said. “She’s probably scared, alone.”
Her worst fears came true when her super showed her the building surveillance video. She called 911 and filed a police report. Polanco also filed a complaint with Uber and sent them the video.
An Uber representative called her late Monday night and told her they spoke to the driver, who claims he does not have Ella, but Polanco believes otherwise. She told WPIX she believes the motive was money.
“I don’t think he came to steal a dog, but he saw her. She’s very cute,” Polanco said. “It’s a crime, it’s theft. She’s worth $5,000. It could be grand larceny. I don’t know what’s going to happen, all I’m thinking about is Ella. I need Ella back.”
Flyers for Ella now adorn the walls and doors of the building, but with Ella being gone more than 48 hours, Polanco fears it’s a race against time.
“She’s my baby,” Polanco said. “She’s my first pet, actually, my first dog ever. For this to happen, it just breaks my heart.”
An Uber Eats spokesperson said Polanco’s claim “is deeply disturbing and unacceptable.”
“We’re continuing to look into this, and have removed this driver’s access to the platform. We stand ready to assist law enforcement in their investigation,” the spokesperson said.