OAKLAND — What was supposed to be the sale of some French Bulldog puppies in East Oakland Monday night left a 17-year-old Stockton boy shot and two men with him robbed of the dogs and personal items, authorities said.
The violence happened about 10:50 p.m. Monday in the 200 block of Hunter Avenue in the Brookfield Village neighborhood.
According to initial reports, the boy and two 20-year-old men, all Stockton residents, told police they were dog breeders and had arranged to sell two French Bulldogs — each worth $3,200 — to a woman they had done business with before, authorities said.
When they got there they were meeting with the purported buyer when two masked men armed with guns approached them.
The robbers took the dogs and other items from the trio. As the suspects were running to a getaway vehicle, one of them began shooting at the victims, wounding the boy at least twice, authorities said. He was in stable condition at a hospital.
The woman was gone by the time police arrived, authorities said.
Detailed descriptions of the robbers were not available.
French Bulldogs are popular among thieves throughout the Bay Area, leading to a rise of dognapping cases in recent years.
Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $7,500 in reward money for information leading to the arrests of the robbers. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3326 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.