DC woman says attackers stole toy poodle, beat her up while she was walking dogs

WASHINGTON - A southeast DC woman says she was attacked while walking a dog that belonged to her neighbor.

Edwina Loftlin tells FOX 5 the two women who attacked her Thursday morning stole her neighbor's toy poodle, Diva, after beating her up on the sidewalk.

Loftlin said she took her neighbor's poodle for a walk along with her own two dogs, and on their way back along the 5300 block of Fitch Street SE, she was approached by two women in a black pickup truck around 9:25 a.m.

She says the women-- who appeared to be a mother and daughter-- asked her if the dogs she was walking bite, and if they were hers. She answered that they did not bite and they were hers. That's when Loftlin says the woman riding in the passenger side of the truck got out and approached her, as though she was going to pet the dogs.

Instead, Loftlin says the woman reached down and grabbed the dog, while the driver got out of the truck and allegedly hit Loftlin from behind.

"She told her daughter, 'Go get one of those dogs. She don't need all them dogs,'" Loftlin told FOX 5.

Loftlin says she tried to stop the suspects but was beaten by the women, who eventually got the dog out of her hands and then fled heading north on 53rd Street SE-- taking Diva with them. Loftlin says she suffered a black eye, a busted lip and may require surgery on her right knee.

"I just don't understand what this word is coming to that a person has to beat up a person and take her dog," Loftlin said.

Photo: Matt Ackland/FOX 5 DC

Loftlin was able to get the tag number of the truck, which had DC plates. She filed an incident report with the Metropolitan Police Department, along with Diva's owner.

Loftlin hopes anyone who might see Diva will contact police so she can be returned to her owner.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to all the Metropolitan Police Department.