Man Charged With Stealing Everett Family's Pit Bull Puppy

EVERETT (CBS) - A Revere man has been charged with stealing an Everett family's eight-month-old pit bull puppy on Wednesday.

Everett police were called to Union Street after receiving a report about an unknown man walking onto a homeowner's front porch and taking his puppy.

The incident was captured on the family's home surveillance camera. Police say the video showed a white man with a shaved head playing briefly with the puppy before walking the leashed pet toward Chelsea.

The homeowner reported the incident 30 minutes later. He told police that his wife and three children were heartbroken over the theft.

Officers were unable to find the suspect or the dog in the immediate area.

Photographs of the suspect were shown at roll call and given to patrolmen.

At 9:50 p.m. Wednesday, an officer saw a man matching the description in the roll call photograph walking a pit bull puppy on Elm Street. The officer spoke with the man and when informed of photographs, he admitted to another officer he took the puppy.

The homeowner went to Elm Street and confirmed that it was his dog.

Nathan Deters, 44, was charged with larceny of property over $250.

He was arraigned in Malden District Court on Thursday.

"As a dog owner myself, there would be nothing worse than somebody taking your pet," said police chief Steven Mazzie in a statement released Friday. "We take these crimes seriously and are happy that we were able to reunite the owners with their puppy. Credit goes out to the officers who got the job done."