Coronavirus ER Nurse's Puppy Stolen While She Was At Work; Burglaries Rising, Says Police

A nurse working at a California hospital’s emergency room discovered that her puppy was stolen from her home Saturday while she was working and helping patients with coronavirus.

Now, Shaila Sheikh and the Concord Police Department are looking for potential leads to the dognapper who was seen on the family's security camera.

Images from the police showed that the man was on a bicycle when he took the puppy from its kennel at the family's unsecured garage.

"The suspect is described as an adult male, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt (red patches on elbows), dark ball cap, blue jeans, dark shoes, and blue rubber gloves," the police said.

The dognapper swung by Sheikh's home on Montgomery Avenue at 10:00 a.m. Parties who may recognize the suspect may call (925) 671-3030 or give an anonymous tip at (925) 603-5836.

Sheikh told CNN that they had Max, an 11-week-old Belgian Malinois, for only two weeks. Her mother was supposed to dogsit while she was working, but the puppy was nowhere to be found.

"I was heartbroken," the nurse said. "Max was helping us start over as a family. I had just moved and it was my kids and me. We had started a new chapter, and Max was an early birthday present for my son."

The police said that their social media posts about the theft had overwhelming thousands of shares, but as of Tuesday (April 21), they have yet to receive a good lead.

“With all she's trying to do in the hospital environment,” said Lt. Sam Staten. “It’s a shame that this has happened to her. She has to deal with this undue stress.”

Meanwhile, as the overall crime rate plunged due to the shelter-in-place orders, police in San Jose, California, said that there had been a spike in burglaries in schools. From March 15 to April 11, the incidence of school burglaries rose to 550 percent compared to last year.

Thieves apparently stole computer equipment and virtual reality gadgets at the Clyde Fischer Middle School, which has been closed since March 16.

"We are all concerned the longer this shelter in place goes on, the more we may see increases," said San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia, per Fox News.