A five-year-old St Joseph boy says a man stole the family’s pit bull at gunpoint Wednesday.

Sergeant Chris McBane says the youngster was playing in his front yard in the 800 block of West Valley Street at approximately 1:30pm Wednesday when he was approached by a man. According to the boy, the man pointed a gun at his head and took the family’s dog.

The man then took off with the dog in a blue pickup truck. The boy told his babysitter, who told the child’s mother when she got home at about 6pm Wednesday. The mother then called police.

Sergeant McBane says they were unable to get a description of the dognapper. If you can help police track down the dog-napper you should call the TIPS hotline at 238-TIPS.