Twenty-five guinea pigs were stolen from the LIDKTE Small Animal Foundation, or LSAF, a rescue sanctuary near Tucson, Arizona. Early on the morning of September 23, two individuals were caught on surveillance cameras covering the lens with a sock. Hours later, sanctuary staff found the place trashed and the guinea pigs gone.
Twenty-four of those guinea pigs have been rescued in a joint operation between the Phoenix Police Department and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. The guinea pigs were discovered on September 26 during a search of a Phoenix residence associated with the suspects.
Sadly, one poor guinea pig didn’t make it. RIP to that guinea pig.
Police Recover 24 Guinea Pigs After Bizarre Tucson Sanctuary Robbery
Authorities say the suspects include two 14-year-old girls and the mother of one of them. Possible charges pending from the Pima County Attorney’s Office include burglary, possession of stolen property, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
It’s the kind of crime that would feel whimsically grubby in a movie, but in real life is just grubby and weird.
According to officials, the operation began when investigators found a witness in Phoenix, which led to the issuance of a search warrant, ultimately resulting in the recovery of the guinea pigs. The surviving 24 guinea pigs were returned to LSAF in Marana with no clue that they were the prized objects of a caper that contributed to the delinquency of a minor.
Monique Sainz, who took care of all the guinea pigs, told 13 News that she raced to work after seeing the footage.
“A lot of these guinea pigs are sick, and they were not deemed for travel or anyone just picking them up and taking them wherever,” Sainz claimed. “They’re really just uncomfortable. They just need their medication and their specialized diet.”
If you’re going to corrupt a kid, don’t bring animals into it, whether it’s something as small and adorable as a guinea pig or as large as an elephant. They’re too innocent to be accessories to a crime or to be the objects of that crime.
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