GILROY, Calif.- A Gilroy woman's stuff is stolen, then her dog disappears during the chaos.
Nancy LaRocque came home Sunday afternoon and her 2-year old dog Lula greeted her like usual when she got inside, but then she saw Alexander Chavez.
"I ran over here banged on the windows, ripped open the door and started chasing him...I was screaming loud," and probably alerted half the neighborhood. Those neighbors reacted without a second thought.
"My neighbor, Nancy, hucked a pie at him!"
Even the PG&E guy who happened to be working on 5th Street in Gilroy jumped in on the chase, "People saw what was going on and reacted, got in their cars, it was a NASCAR rally around the corner," said LaRocque.
Just a street over, on 4th Street, the suspect tried to hop a fence and hide in a backyard, but the group wasn't far behind and pinned him down until police showed up.
LaRocque got her stolent property back, but when she got back home her most priceless possession was gone. LaRocque said Lula got scared during the commotion and escaped through the open gate. Once again, the neighborhood was on the hunt.
"Everyone within a mile radius knew we were looking for her...Everyone was helpful."
Even the officer, who just arrested the suspect, joined the search when he got off duty, but no luck.
And just as Central Coast News came to interview LaRocque Monday morning, Lula came home.
LaRocque calls that a Christmas miracle; as for the neighborhood help, "I wouldn't have expected anything less, every single one of these neighbors if they would've seen that would've taken action."
LaRocque said she is going to get an alarm for the house. Gilroy police are reminding people to be extra cautious during the holiday season.
