Puppy Stolen From Petland Leads to Felony Conviction for St. Paul Man

A Washington County judge sentenced a 23-year-old St. Paul man to five years in prison on Jan. 18 after police found him in violation of a no-contact order last August. 

Matthew Dennis Smith was given a stay of execution of the sentence, placed on probation for five years and ordered to serve 135 days in the Washington County Jail.

According to a Washington County warrant complaint, Oakdale police located Smith in an apartment in the 6200 block of 12th Street North on Aug. 9 after they were contacted on the report of a stolen puppy from Petland in the Sun Ray shopping center.

The complaint states Smith first pretended he wasn't home and then barricaded the door after police got the apartment manager to unlock it.

Once they gained access to the apartment, police found the stolen puppy in one room and Smith's 4-year-old daughter in another room.

After taking Smith into custody police realized he had an active no-contact order against his daughter in connection with a March 2011 felony conviction for malicious punishment of a child.

Smith was not charged with theft of the puppy, which was reported to be worth $800-$900. 

Other conditions of Smith's conviction include, but are not limited to:

• Submit to an anger management program
• Abstain from the use of all non-prescribed mood-altering chemicals including alcohol for five years
• Obtain a cognitive skills evaluation and follow all recommendations therein
• No unsupervised contact with daughter for five years