French Bulldogs Stolen Across SoCal: MoVal Deputies Arrest Duo

MORENO VALLEY, CA — A duo suspected of robbing Southern Californians of their French bulldogs were arrested this week by Moreno Valley deputies, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department reported.

Joshua Reneau, 29, and Serenity Gershon, 20, both from Hawthorne, were taken into custody Wednesday on suspicion of second-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime, jail records show.

Both were taken into custody in Hawthorne. They were released from Riverside's Robert Presley Detention Center Thursday in lieu of $30,000 bail each, according to jail records.

Around 9:21 p.m. Monday, deputies out of the Moreno Valley Sheriff's Station were called to the 11000 block of Ohio Street in Moreno Valley about a robbery at gunpoint.

According to a report from sheriff's Sgt. Ryan Marcuse, a woman agreed to meet a buyer, later identified as Gershon, at the spot to sell her a French bulldog. The two met through Craigslist.

When the victim showed Gershon the dog, a man, later identified as Reneau, got out of a nearby silver Mercedes-Benz and pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at her in an attempt to steal the pooch.

The investigation into the duo involved public tips and the Moreno Valley Citywide Camera System, which led to a search warrant being served at Gershon's Hawthorne home, Marcuse said.

Several items related to the robbery were found, and both Gershon and Reneau were taken into custody, Marcuse reported.

"It is believed Gershon and Reneau are responsible for several additional robberies of French bulldogs in the Southern California area," Marcuse said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Deputy Mark Hardin at 951-486-6700.

Marcuse reminded the public that anyone who is selling or buying products through online platforms, the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station has a dedicated safe exchange location in its parking lot at 22850 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos.