FAIRFIELD, Ohio — A Yorkshire Terrier puppy stolen from a Fairfield pet store more than two months ago has been safely recovered, bringing what one employee calls a "Christmas miracle" to the end of a heartbreaking ordeal.
Toto was just 12 weeks old when he was snatched from Petland Fairfield on Oct. 10. Security camera footage showed a woman put the puppy into a large bag and flee the store while employees chased after her.
Youssef Elkhalili told us he was working at Petland that day and witnessed the theft firsthand. He said he was among those who pursued the suspect.
"It was definitely very sad to see that they just literally walked up and put the puppy in the bag and just walked straight out," Elkhalili said. "To see that happen in person was definitely a shocker."
As days turned into weeks, Elkhalili said the staff grew uncertain they would ever see Toto again.
"I could definitely feel the morale within the team go down a little bit. And when I had customers coming in and asking me if the puppy was still missing, if we had found it, it was definitely a reminder for myself," Elkhalili said.
WATCH: Fairfield police find and return puppy more than two months after he was stolen
But Elkhalili said he never lost hope.
Before the store opened Thursday morning, general manager Lisa Miller said she heard a knock at the door. Three Fairfield police officers were standing outside, and one was holding a Yorkie.
"The officer told me, 'We got your dog,'" Miller said.
Officers had found the dog just two hours earlier inside a Sharonville apartment, shown on Fairfield police body camera footage. Officers had tracked down the owner of the alleged getaway car and, while serving a search warrant, said they heard a dog barking inside.
"When the guy opened the door, a little Yorkie came out to the officers," Miller said.
Officers checked the dog's microchip and confirmed it was Toto, now five months old.
"The puppy was lost back in October, and now, at Christmas time, the week of Christmas, the puppy just comes back ... can't be a coincidence," Elkhalili said.
Fairfield police arrested Lamaya Winslow for complicity and theft. Winslow is accused of being the getaway driver.
Officers have identified the juvenile who took Toto from the store and are working on charges against them, Fairfield police told us.
"Toto was special to me whenever he was here. I treated him like he was my own, just like how I do with all of my puppies here. And to see him go missing ... it was detrimental to me," Elkhalili said.
Toto isn't the first animal to be taken from the Fairfield store. Elkhalili said someone took a few birds around the same time Toto was stolen. In 2019, a woman walked out with a Maltese-Yorkshire Terrier mix puppy, though it was found by police a day later.
Elkhalili told us the store has recently implemented heightened security measures.
"You can pry us, you can come in here and you can do whatever, but our Fairfield police officers are on our side, and they will not stop until you are found," Elkhalili said. "I will promise you right now this will never happen again."
Staff told us Toto is in good health and receiving extra care and attention. Miller is working on finding him a permanent home, hopefully in time for Christmas.
"I'm just very grateful for our police officers here in Fairfield. To be honest, I didn't think it would be a top priority for them to find a tiny little puppy, but it was, and I just really appreciate them for coming back and bringing this baby home," Elkhalili said. "He's a celebrity, in my opinion."
