Oak Creek man accused of stealing $4,100 Yorkshire Terrier from Petland in Racine
Kyle Czarnecki
RACINE -- An Oak Creek man appeared in court on Tuesday, Aug. 6 after a warrant was issued for his arrest following the theft of a puppy from Petland in Racine that was caught on camera in February. Charges were filed against Kyle Czarnecki on April 23, when the arrest warrant was issued. Prosecutors said he was out on bond at the time of the incident at Petland.
Czarnecki, 26, faces the following charges:
According to a criminal complaint, on Feb. 13, an employee at Petland in Racine told police a man took a 16-week-old Yorkshire Terrier being held for resale from the store without paying for it, and without consent. The employee said the man entered the store and had been looking at multiple dogs, telling employees he was looking for a dog as a gift for his girlfriend. The employee said she helped the man select the Yorkshire Terrier, and he was sitting with the dog in the booth closest to the door. The employee went to assist another customer on the other side of the store, and the man left the store without paying for the dog. The employee said the dog was worth $4,100.
Investigators obtained surveillance video of the man inside the store with the dog, and photos from the video were released to the media. Several police agencies and citizens identified the man as Kyle Czarnecki, the complaint said.
Online court records showed Czarneck was out on bond at the time of the alleged crime at Petland.
Online court records showed a number of open cases against him.
In April, he was charged with theft of movable property (less than $2,500) and operating while revoked out of Waukesha County, and an arrest warrant was issued. A $750 signature bond was set in July, and a plea/sentencing hearing was scheduled for Aug. 14.
Also in April, he was charged with retail theft, intentionally taking greater than $500 to $5,000, and operating while revoked, and an arrest warrant was issued. A $1,500 signature bond was set in July, and a plea/sentencing hearing was scheduled for Aug. 14.
In March, he was charged with theft of movable property, less than $2,500 out of Milwaukee County, and an arrest warrant was issued. In May, cash bond was set at $750, and a plea/sentencing hearing was scheduled for Aug. 14.
In late February, he was charged with drive or operate a vehicle without consent, and operating while revoked out of Milwaukee County, and an arrest warrant was issued. He faces a September jury trial in that case.
In September 2018, he was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, and has a plea/sentencing hearing scheduled for Aug. 14.
Cash bond was set at $1,500 when Czarnecki made his initial appearance in court on Tuesday in the latest case. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Aug. 21.