Dog taken during carjacking reunited with owner thanks to help of Good Samaritan

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- A Good Samaritan reunited a dog with its owner Wednesday after a suspect stole the owner's car with the dog inside.

Donald Mittica held onto his little dog Lola, who days ago was taken during the carjacking.

It happened Monday afternoon at Tony's Tacos in San Bernardino. Mittica had finished lunch and was getting back into his car when a suspect came up to him with a knife and then took his car.

"All of the sudden an arm goes around my throat and he - I guess he had this knife," Mittica said.

The suspected carjacker was arrested later that day in Santa Ana, but there was no sign of Lola, who has become Mittica's only companion after his wife of 42 years died last year.

"She's my world now. You know when you've been married as long as I have been to my wife and then she's gone - (Lola) is the only thing I have," he said.

But Wednesday afternoon, a Good Samaritan found Lola on Iowa Avenue in Riverside and brought her to the Riverside County Animal Shelter. Luckily Lola was micro-chipped and so she was quickly reunited with her friend.

"So many people still don't have their dogs chipped - it's like less than 15 percent or 20 percent - it's very low considering that this is what happens when your dog ends up in the shelter. We're able to contact you pretty quickly," said John Welsh with Riverside County Animal Services.

Mittica said he was speechless by how quickly Lola was found and he's happy to be back with his furry friend.