HOLLYWOOD HILLS—Former Liverpool soccer player Daniel Sturridge, 29, is asking for the return of his stolen Pomeranian named Lucci. The athlete claims someone broke into his home on Mount Olympus on Monday, July 8 and kidnapped the dog in addition to other belongings. Sturridge was released by the Liverpool Football Club last month.
Sturridge sent out a plea via Instagram on Monday night. “We’ve been away for two hours….it doesn’t make any sense,” said Sturridge in his Instagram story. The Los Angeles Police Department indicated they received a call at about 1:30 a.m.
The soccer player’s Instagram videos and stories show images of a broken glass door, where he suspects how the thieves broke in. Apart from the missing dog, Sturridge says numerous bags were taken from his property.
“I’ll pay you anything, I’m dead serious,” Sturridge said in the video to the alleged thieves. Later in the video, he offered to pay a compensation of $20,000 to $30,000 for his pet Lucci.
In another video posted on Instagram, Sturridge claims that he will be moving out of the home in the next few days. He asked for whoever who has the dog, to bring it back to the Hollywood Hills house as soon as possible.
“How can you break into a house in LA and take somebody’s dog? Are you crazy?” Sturridge stated in a video. “It’s not about the money. I just want my dog. Simple as that.”
On Wednesday, July 10, Sturridge uploaded a video to Instagram letting his followers know that Lucci was found and is safe. The athlete and his friends picked up the Pomeranian in south Los Angeles Tuesday night. “I can’t believe it,” he said in a video message on Instagram. Sturridge did not say if he had paid a reward.
“I just want to say a big thank you to everyone on social media who supported us and raised awareness. I’m so thankful.”
