Police are offering a $2,500 reward for anyone who spots a
missing police officer who ran away from his North East Hollister
home Sunday.
Hollister – Police are offering a $2,500 reward for anyone who spots a missing police officer who ran away from his North East Hollister home Sunday.
Capitola Police K-9 “Arno,” a 4-year old Belgian Malamois and two-year veteran of the department, ran away from his handler’s home Sunday afternoon, according to Capitola Police Detective Mark Gonzalez.
Although Arno is a friendly dog while off-duty who is comfortable around children and large crowds, police are concerned someone could unintentionally trigger an aggressive action by the highly-trained dog, who is capable of attacking a human on command, Gonzalez said.
“Everybody should be cautious in approaching any dog, including this one,” Gonzalez said. “There are some triggers the police department is concerned about. He’s used to being with his handler.”
His handler, who Gonzalez wouldn’t name, realized Arno was missing and immediately contacted the department to conduct an investigation whether foul play was involved.
There was no evidence to suggest someone stole the dog or attempted to harm it, so police immediately began concentrating on finding the dog, Gonzalez said.
The dog was in the backyard and somehow escaped through a gate. Whether he jumped up and unhooked the latch or someone inadvertently left the gate open is unknown, Gonzalez said. Gonzalez said the dog has a chain around its neck to which may still be attached a Capitola police badge.
And although the dog is highly-trained, Gonzalez said he is, after all, a dog.
“How does he run away? That’s a really good question, I wonder that myself,” Gonzalez said. “Like any animal, they’re curious. They live in a residential area where there’s parks nearby and he’s a very friendly dog.”
Arno’s handler searched well into the night Sunday and multiple agencies, including Hollister police, San Benito County sheriff’s deputies and the California Highway Patrol, have been advised to keep their eyes open for the lost dog, Gonzalez said.
CHP officers even went up in a helicopter Monday to perform a house-by-house search for the dog by using infrared technology, Gonzalez said.
From an altitude of 1,000 feet the helicopter can search places officers can’t on foot or in a vehicle. It can detect small heat sources, such as a dog or even a jackrabbit, hiding under a tree or in a ravine, Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said officers, particularly his handler, won’t cease their search until the dog is found.
The $2,500 reward is based on the large amount of time and money the department has invested in the dog, along with the relationship between the dog and his fellow officers, Gonzalez said.
His handler even contributed $1,500 from his own pocket toward the reward, he said.
“There’s no giving up with that officer. There’s no giving up with that dog,” he said. “Someone maybe found the dog without his badge. If they have him they’re gonna get the reward. If we get information that leads us to Arno and we get him back, that person gets that reward. No questions asked.”
Anyone with information about Arno’s whereabouts is asked to contact San Benito County Dispatch at (831) 636-4331 or the Capitola Police Department at (831) 471-1141.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or em*******@fr***********.com
