Kendra Hunters is reportedly the mother of one of the teens accused of taking the dog.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A woman has been arrested and charged for her alleged involvement in the theft of a 6-year-old French bulldog named Julio.
Court records show 37-year-old Kendra Sade Hunter has been charged with felony possession of stolen goods and property. The charge was filed on May 2, but the warrant was just obtained by WCNC Charlotte. Reportedly, Hunter is the mother of one of the teens connected to Julio’s disappearance.
Julio has been missing for more than a month after being snatched from his owner’s vehicle in north Charlotte.
The dog’s owner Jayla Gittens has been desperately searching for Julio since both her pet and her Honda Civic were stolen while she was loading boxes during a move from her north Charlotte apartment on April 6. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police confirmed two juvenile suspects were charged in connection with the case, but Julio hadn’t been located when those charges were announced.
“CMPD actually did recover my car in the Mallard Creek area,” Gittens told WCNC Charlotte.
While the recovery of her vehicle brought some relief, her primary concern is focused on finding Julio.
The investigation took several unusual turns, with Gittens discovering social media posts that appeared to show both her missing car and dog.
“I could see, like, the entire front of my car, and that’s how I knew,” Gittens said, describing how she identified her vehicle in posts from unfamiliar accounts.
Even more disturbing, Gittens reported receiving ransom demands through social media.
“This Instagram account, which has now since been deleted, was actually bold enough to comment on the missing posters pages of my dogs and say, if you want your dog, you can pay me $1,000; if you want your car, you can pay me 2.5 [thousand],” she said.
Gittens told WCNC Charlotte’s Vanessa Ruffes the community helped her raise a $2,500 reward that was offered in addition to whatever Crime Stoppers pays if her dog was returned.
WCNC Charlotte reached out to CMPD to determine whether the individuals appearing in the social media videos were considered suspects or persons of interest in the case. Police did not respond to those multiple inquiries, citing that it’s an active investigation. CMPD said it charged one of the suspects after recovering Gittens’ car. Three additional teens were believed to have information about Julio’s whereabouts. The second arrest was for unrelated charges while officers were looking for the stolen dog.
Gittens received a text message from Hunter that said Julio may be with someone’s uncle who breeds French bulldogs, according to an affidavit obtained by WCNC Charlotte. The affidavit goes on to say Hunter confirmed she’s the one in the picture Gittens received. Police said they used the fingernail paint and the tattoo seen on the person in the photo as well as the data associated with the picture to confirm when it was taken and that it was Hunter pictured in it.
The emotional toll on the owner is evident as she pleads for her pet’s return.
“I can only hope that, you know, they will just have a heart and return my dog to me, that that’s my only hope, is that someone can have some empathy and have a heart and understand that. You know, my dog is probably terrified,” Gittens said.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact CMPD or Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. A cash reward up to $5,000 may be available for information leading to an arrest. Gittens has signed up to speak during the city council’s next public forum on May 27 to ask for the public’s assistance in finding Julio.
Contact Myles Harris at [email protected] and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
