Last weekend, a woman reported to Brookhaven police that a strange man stole her 2-year-old Yorkie while on a walk.
Habibah Dixon, 43, has now been charged with a city ordinance violation of providing false information after investigators learned the dog actually ran away, police said.
The department announced the development Friday afternoon.
Dixon initially said the dog got away from her and the man snatched up the dog and ran.
"Brookhaven Police detectives have spent many investigative hours since this November 25th report attempting to identify and locate this suspect," the agency said in a post on Facebook. "Today, they have learned that the information provided by Dixon to police was false. There was no suspect that had taken and ran away with her Yorkie."
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Detectives now believe the dog ran off during one of her walks. Witnesses saw the dog running in and out of traffic on Clairmont Road, and police think someone may have stopped to pick up the Yorkie to keep her from getting hit.
Asked why the story would be made up, Maj. Brandon Gurley said he wished he knew why people do such things.
"Unfortunately, in this case, I do not know," he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
It's now a missing dog case.
Her name is “Blondie" and she has a microchip.
Anyone with information can contact Brookhaven Police at 404-637-0600.
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