Shocking video shows woman clinging to hood of speeding car after dog was stolen
Ali Zacharias, a woman whose dog was stolen in Los Angeles, tells 'Fox & Friends First' about her efforts to chase down the thieves and updates on the search to find her dog.
A woman who clung to the hood of a speeding getaway car after her dog was stolen in Los Angeles earlier this month says the search is still underway for her beloved pet, and scammers have taken advantage of her despair.
"We are getting a lot of tips, and we're getting a lot of scams and stuff, too," Ali Zacharias told "Fox & Friends First" Tuesday.
"It's hard to sort out. I'm not excited anymore when somebody says, ‘We have your dog.’ I started to get excited in the beginning."
VIDEO SHOWS WOMAN CLUTCHING ONTO HOOD OF CAR AFTER THIEVES ALLEGEDLY STOLE HER FRENCH BULLDOG
Ali Zacharias of California found herself on the hood of a car after a woman and three other suspects allegedly stole her French Bulldog. (Credit: @HARRISONJAMESMUSIC/TMZ)
Co-host Carley Shimkus noted Zacharias was even scammed out of $50 by someone who said they had her French Bulldog, but needed gas money to bring him to her.
"It just adds insult to injury," Shimkus said.
WOMAN FOUND DEAD ON LOS ANGELES-AREA BEACH AFTER BEING REPORTED MISSING BY HER BOYFRIEND: POLICE
The shocking incident caught on video happened on Jan. 18 when Zacharias was having lunch with the dog, named Onyx, at a Whole Foods store on Grand Avenue and 8th Street.
Zacharias described it as a normal day that took a sharp turn when the dog-napping thief approached the pet and made a dash for the car.
"I was feeding him meatballs, and he went under the table. He was curious," she said.
Onyx, a French Bulldog, was taken from his owner last week, who found herself clutching onto the hood of a car as the alleged thieves drove away. (Petco Love Lost)
"He went to smell something, and he tugs on the leash, and I let it go as he was pulling it hard. I looked up, a woman was picking him up and carrying him away. I said, 'Excuse me, that's my dog.' I thought it was just a miscommunication. My instinct wasn't to think I was being robbed. Who would steal somebody's dog away from them?"
She asked for her dog back when the thief jumped in the white Kia Forte caught on camera. Zacharias followed behind, first chasing the thief into the car, but got pushed back.
"I had no other recourses but to stop the car, so I ran in front of the car and I put up my hands and I said, 'Stop, stop. Do not drive. I'm a human now in front of your car. You can't drive, obviously,' but that didn't stop them. They drove right into me, and I found myself on the hood, clinging onto the windshield wipers and saying I wasn't leaving. I wasn't going to leave the car at that point."
BURGLAR TAKES BREAK FROM ROBBING HOME TO COZY UP WITH OVERLY FRIENDLY FAMILY DOG: ‘I LOVE YOU, TOO’
"The next thing I know, I was going 40 miles an hour down the road."
Zacharias was ultimately thrown off the hood and said she felt "defeated" and "really alone" when she realized what had happened, adding no one was around at the time.
She said she's happy the video went viral, however, so everyone knows what happened and can help her search for Onyx.
"This video was really a huge, huge, savior to me," she said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Onyx is a black Merle French Bulldog with a spotted coat and two differently colored eyes.
The suspects have been described as four African-Americans, three females and one male. All were overweight, according to Zacharias.
Anyone with information about the theft is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-275-5273.
Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox