The Region : Man Charged With Bilking Dog Owners

Criminal charges were filed against a man who allegedly answered newspaper ads about lost dogs and then bilked the owners out of cash by falsely claiming to have retrieved their pets. James Knight, 39, is accused of stealing a total of $776 from 11 dog owners between August of last year and April 27. He was arrested in a sting operation after a Reseda couple became suspicious and tipped off police, the city attorney’s office said. Deputy City Atty. Ruth Kwan said Knight would arrange to meet the owners and then talk them into turning over cash to him--in amounts ranging from $25 to $110--by asking to be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses such as food and veterinary bills. She described the suspect as “quite articulate, well-dressed and well-mannered.” After receiving the money, Knight would leave, ostensibly to fetch the dog, but instead, he would disappear, Kwan said.