Overview
- The dog was seized around 9 a.m. Monday near Hayward and Palm avenues in central San Mateo, police said.
- A masked assailant grabbed the leashed poodle from behind, nearly knocked the owner down, unhooked the leash, and fled to a nearby vehicle.
- Witness statements helped officers determine the vehicle’s direction and initiate a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 101 just north of Marsh Road.
- Officers arrested 33-year-old David Frankhauser of San Diego on suspicion of second-degree robbery.
- The poodle was recovered unharmed and returned to its family, and police described the case as a targeted incident involving known parties with no further details released.