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ON YOUR SIDE: After thieves killed family pet, stole T.V. during burglary one family is looking for answers

"The police officer says he died of blunt force trauma. So we assume they kicked him across the floor in the living room."

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Earlier this week, Carol came home to find her front door busted in, her windows broken and the family pet killed by intruders.

A Facebook post about the incident has been shared more than a thousand times. The comments are full of outrage. One person wrote: "Makes Me Sick."

We are choosing not to mention Carol's last name, but she is still in disbelief.

"When I got home, my home had broken into and it happened sometime in the morning," she said. "I was scared.".

Carol said the past few days have been difficult, moments filled with fear and anger.

"They took the tv in the living room, they took a laptop and they took jewelry from my bedroom," she said. 

The criminals took more than a flat-screen t.v. and a laptop they took the life of the family pet, a Chihuahua name Cowler.

"We had the mother dog originally and she gave birth in the house so he has been here for 15 years," she said. "The police officer says he died of blunt force trauma. So we assume they kicked him across the floor in the living room."

On Your Side checked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime stats.

In 2018 about sixty percent of burglaries were forced entry, just like what happened at Carol's home.

In Duval County, there were 4,909 burglaries in 2018, but only 757 were cleared.

Carol is now replacing her front door, boarding up the window and trying to get back to normal life as much as she can without her beloved pet.

"Hopefully somebody will have cameras, somebody saw who was there," the mailman said.

The family was told that there was a truck parked on the curb near her home and a dark color vehicle in the driveway.  

A very vague description, but that is all they have for now. Carol has lived in her home 31 years and now the peace and security she enjoyed, has now been shattered.

"They are still out there," Carol said. "Hopefully they will be found."

Police are asking those in the community if you know anything about this crime that took place in the Argyle community, to contact them at 904-630-0500 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

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