Full Notification

On Saturday (06/06/15) afternoon at approximately 2:45 p.m., Greene County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the Southwest Missouri Humane Society located at 3161 West Norton Road in northern Greene County after a male and female had stolen a puppy without paying the adoption fees. In the state of Missouri, stealing an animal is a Class D Felony pursuant to RsMO 570.033. Video surveillance footage captured a male and female removing a puppy from an enclosure, exiting the building and leaving the location in a white passenger car.

"It was with the public's help we were able to identify the couple in the video," states Sheriff Arnott. "Cases like this pulls at our citizens' heart strings, which helped to bring it to a quick successful resolution."

On Wednesday (06/09/15) afternoon, the two suspects in the video surveillance footage were identified as a 26-year old AARON M DUVEL and 25-year old JAMIE L WIRSIG. They were located at a home in the area of 2900 block of South Knights Court in Springfield; a search warrant was obtained and served at this location. During the course of this investigation, a third individual returned the black/tan/white Husky mix puppy to GCSO Detectives who returned him to the Humane Society.

The investigation is still on-going and the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has charged AARON M DUVEL with:
1 - Felony count of Stealing of an Animal
(warrant #1531-CR03511, bond amount $2,500.00)

JAMIE L WIRSIG has been charged with:
1 - Felony count of Stealing of an Animal
(warrant #1531-CR03510, bond amount $2,500.00)