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On December 14, 2019, at approximately 9:12 AM, San Francisco Police officers from Ingleside Station responded to the 400 block of Cortland Avenue regarding the theft of a dog.

The victim, a 31-year-old San Francisco resident told officers that she left her dog, “Jackson,” tied to a bench while she went into a grocery store. An unknown suspect stole Jackson, a 5-year-old black, white and gray Mini Australian Shepherd with blue eyes.

Over the past five months, investigators from the SFPD Burglary Detail worked cohesively to author several search warrants, examine video footage, and follow-up on potential leads. A crucial turning point in the investigation occurred in Los Angeles County when Jackson was spotted by community members. The incident details were provided to law enforcement, which facilitated key leads in identifying the suspect responsible for stealing Jackson. An arrest warrant for grand theft was issued.

On April 17, 2020, 27-year-old Nicholas Bravo, a Palmdale, CA resident, was arrested for felony grand theft. Bravo was already in custody at San Joaquin County Jail for matters unrelated to Jackson’s theft. Bravo was cited to appear in San Francisco Superior Court this summer.

On April 20, 2020, the lead SFPD investigator was notified that Jackson had been surrendered to Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control in Palmdale, CA. Jackson was retrieved from the shelter by a close family friend and taken to Santa Monica, where he was recovered by SFPD and driven back to San Francisco. In the early morning hours on Tuesday, Jackson was finally reunited with his owner one week after his sixth birthday.

This arrest and Jackson’s return is the direct result of dogged work by investigators from the SFPD Burglary Detail, the SFPD Special Investigations Division and investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.