Wilmette mother pleads for safe return of beloved 15-year-old dog stolen from backyard: VIDEO

WILMETTE, Ill. (WLS) -- A north suburban woman is asking whoever took her family's dog, Leon, to please bring him back.

Marcela Perez Caceres says someone stole her 15-year-old Shih Tzu from her backyard in a brazen incident caught on video.

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"If you see this, please return the dog," Caceres said, in Spanish. "I literally pick up Leon every day. He will run into my arms. He's just this fully sweet ball. The kids will push him in a stroller. He's amazing"

The dognapping happened Thursday night after 8 p.m.

The Wilmette resident told police she let Leon outside in the backyard of her home for a bathroom break, then left to attend a parents' night at her daughter's school.

It was soon after that she received a panicked call from her next-door neighbor, who was out of town, about an intruder alarm notification.

"Basically, our neighbors called us and said there's a person that broke into our house next door, and in the video, it shows that he has, he's holding Leon," Caceres said.

A security camera only captured the suspect holding Leon under his left arm as he walks through the neighbor's home and not the actual dognapping. The family thinks the thief grabbed up the pooch from their backyard before breaking into their garage and the house next door.

The Caceres family has only lived here for three months after moving from Colombia.

"The kids love this dog so much. It's their family, one of the most important parts of their family, so they are worried," Caceres said.

Caceres said she does not have the heart to tell her 8- and 4-year-olds that someone took Leon. She says they think he just got out of the yard and will be home soon.

Police are now investigating and possibly looking for at least one suspect responsible for stealing Leon while also trying to locate a possible second person seen on video and involved in the break-ins.

Meanwhile, the community is coming together and getting the word out about Leon's dognapping in hopes of securing his safe return.