UPDATE: Man wanted for alleged Goodhue County dog theft killed in Minneapolis shooting

Alleged Bulldog Thief Dead

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UPDATE: The man accused of stealing five valuable bulldog puppies has been killed following a shooting in Minneapolis earlier this week.

According to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, Mikiyel Deshone Patton, 37, died as the result of multiple gunshot wounds on Dec. 19 at approximately 6:30 p.m. Our sister station KSTP has confirmed that no arrests have been made in the case.

Previous story

(ABC 6 News) – Goodhue County law enforcement is on the lookout for a man accused of stealing five young, valuable bulldog puppies.

According to court documents filed Friday, on Dec. 2, a Cannon Falls officer responded to a report that a man stole a woman’s puppies from her home while she slept.

The woman allegedly told police that Mikiyel Deshone Patton, 37, stole five Platinum French Bulldogs, each valued at $15,000.

According to court documents, the woman allowed Patton to stay at her home for a couple of nights, stating he had “nowhere else to stay.” In exchange, Patton offered to help take care of the puppies, all about a week old.

According to the woman, she heard Patton wake up and enter the “puppy room” at around 9 a.m. Dec. 2, and believed Patton went to care for the puppies.

When the woman went to check on the puppies at 10:30 a.m., she instead found a pile of clothes previously held in Patton’s backpack, indicating he emptied his pack and refilled it with puppies, court documents state.

Cannon Falls Police Officer Tyler Johnson responded to the scene and checked neighboring houses, although police were not sure if Patton left in a vehicle or on foot, per court documents.

The woman told police the puppies would likely die without the care of their mother, court documents allege.

On Dec. 3, 2023, Vanessa Taylor, the owner of the missing puppies, allegedly contacted Johnson, stating she shared Patton’s Facebook profile and photo around social media, hoping to locate Patton and the puppies.

Court documents allege that Patton posted a photo of the puppies on his profile saying he was “hustling for money.”

ABC 6 News could not locate Patton’s Facebook post.

However, court documents state that Taylor, the owner, learned that Patton stole the puppies because the woman he was staying with owed him $20,000.

According to court documents, Patton did not intend to return the puppies unless their ransom was paid.

Court documents also claim that Patton said Taylor should stop sharing his photo publicly, as he is a “dangerous person.”

The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office has issued an arrest warrant for Patton. Patton has been charged with theft with intent to ransom.