Stinky dog helps police smell a rat in runaways' storyA flatulent dog saved two girls from a Valentine's Day rendezvous with a rape suspect.
The two New York girls, ages 12 and 15, ran away from home Monday on an overnight bus to Minneapolis. One of the girls brought the family dog, Bambi.
She told the bus driver that Bambi was her guide dog. The girls fed the dog junk food on the bus. It gave the dog gas.
Other riders complained about the malodorous mutt. The driver alerted security guards at Cleveland's Greyhound station and guards called police.
"Of course we quickly figured out this wasn't a Seeing-Eye dog and neither of the girls is blind," Lt. Thomas Stacho said.
The girls had intended to meet Manuel Alvarado, 22, in Minnesota.
He met the 15-year-old in New York and was charged last month with having sex with her in Minnesota. After their relationship was discovered, the girl was returned to her parents in the Bronx, only to run away again.
Both girls were in the custody of Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services Tuesday and Bambi was taken home by a detective. Parents are expected to retrieve the girls and Bambi as early as today.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/113999589268420.xml&coll=2The link asks for your ZIP, DOB and sex.
