Police are investigating an incident in which two adults allegedly tried to steal pet dogs from two young girls while the children were playing in a park, authorities said.
The incident reportedly occurred around 7 p.m. Monday at Evergreen Park, 1800 E. Grove St. The girls, ages 7 and 8, both from Mt. Prospect, had taken their dogs to the park, leashed them to a bench and began playing on a swing set.
The girls told police that a car pulled up, a man and woman exited the vehicle and walked over to the dogs. When the girls asked what they were doing, one of the adults allegedly replied, “We’re taking your dogs,” police said.
The man allegedly pushed and slapped the 8-year-old when she tried to intervene, police said. The 7-year-old suffered scratches on her ankle when the woman tried to pull her away from one of the dogs, which police said was a Samoyed.
The 7-year-old unleashed the Samoyed, which scared the strangers away, police said. They said they did not know the second dog’s breed.