Police: Raleigh man impersonated officer to steal teen's dog

RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) -- A Raleigh man is accused of impersonating a police officer to steal a teenager's dog.

The victim, who doesn't want to be identified, spoke exclusively with ABC11.

She said that on Monday, she went to the door of the North Raleigh townhouse where she lives and was told by a man in a grey uniform that he was there to take her dog.

"It was a guy saying that he had warrants for Max. And I said, 'What do you mean? It's my dog.' And he just kept saying, 'I have papers coming to take Max," she told ABC11.

She said she thought something wasn't right about the man or the papers he had, but she wasn't sure.

"I didn't want to argue if it really was a police so I just handed my dog over," she said. "It was awful. I thought I wasn't going to get him back. I was just crying."

She called her mother who realized it was probably a hoax, so they called Raleigh police.

Investigators arrested Meredith Cromartie Jr., 26, of Raleigh and charged him with impersonating law enforcement and larceny of a dog.

This marks the fourth time since 2015 that Cromartie has been charged by RPD with impersonating a law enforcement officer.

Police said a third party hatched the dog-theft plot and recruited Cromartie. That person has not yet been charged.

The victims said she believes the third party is her ex-boyfriend who gave her the dog.

"I think it's more trying to bother me," she said. "And I think he took it too far and might know that now."

The ex-boyfriend's mother returned Max last night, the teen said.

"It was the best feeling ever. He was so happy and I just felt so relieved," she said. "I was, you know, had anxiety with stress about the whole situation but I was just glad to have him back."