Search for stolen Kirkland dog continues after arrest made in case
The Brief
A dog stolen from a Kirkland man remains missing despite police arresting the person behind the theft.
According to the victim, the alleged dog thief told police two different stories, and desperately wants Sparkey back.
KIRKLAND, Wash. - A Kirkland man is pleading for help finding his dog, Sparkey, despite an arrest being made in the case.
FOX 13 first reported on the case last month. Surveillance video captured the man that police believe is responsible for stealing him. Although the man in the video is now behind bars, Sparkey is still nowhere to be found.
Sparkey's owner says he'd just befriended that man on a dating app and had no idea he would end up taking his dog without warning.
According to jail records, Brandon Marquis Holland was arrested early this week. Sparkey's owner tells me he was heartbroken to learn that the police said Holland was uncooperative and told investigators two different stories about what he did with Sparkey.
"It's like I'm missing, half of my life is missing," said Francisco, pictured below with Sparkey, his dog of seven years.
Francisco Martinez Crisanto says security cameras captured the moment that Brandon Holland was accused of leaving his apartment, taking his best friend with him as he disappeared.
"There are videos of him walking out of the lobby with my dog Sparkey in his arms," said Francisco.
After receiving severe burns from a fire in his youth, Sparkey also provided him with emotional support.
"Two days ago, I woke up at 5 a.m. and just started crying. Not having Sparkey has been hard, coming home from work and not hearing that growling sound or the heavy breathing that the dogs do," said Francisco.
Francisco says Holland came over to hang out after meeting him on a dating app, and then at around midnight, Francisco let him stay in the guest bedroom because he told him his bus to the U-District had stopped running.
Early the next morning, he told Francisco he was running to the gas station across the street for coffee. When Francisco fell back asleep, he reportedly packed up and instead took the dog and disappeared.
"I had no idea he was packing up, ditching out, and took my dog with him," said Francisco.
Francisco said when he tried to reach back out to Holland about returning his dog, he blocked him.
Kirkland Police confirm that they reviewed the video and Francisco says Holland was arrested at Tent City 4 in Lake City, but he did not have Sparkey.
"He mentioned to the police officers that he sold Sparkey on Craigslist and then he also told the police officers that he gave Sparkey to his girlfriend. Both me and the police officers are like, 'This doesn't make any sense.' We don't know which one's true," said Francisco.
Records show that he was booked on April 29 and given a $5,000 bond.
Francisco says the last time someone reported a potential sighting of his dog was at Tent City 3 off of 35th Avenue Northeast.
His co-worker helped him to make some fliers to assist in the ongoing search.
"What he does to people is heartless, and it's not OK," said Francisco.
On Friday, Francisco paid it forward by helping to reunite another lost dog, Noelle, with her owner after he and a friend found the dog lost and running into traffic. She had a collar on that helped him to locate her owner.
He hopes someone else will now do the same for him and Sparkey.
"Please continue looking out for Sparkey. Reach out to me if you see him or any dog that looks like him," said Francisco.
Sparkey is microchipped and Francisco has his phone on high alert for a call from anyone who might find him.
The Source
Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
Subject identified after fire destroys bridge on Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad
Jamie Tompkins claims Seattle police scandal was a setup. Here's why
California mom released from ICE detention in Tacoma
Free Seattle Waterfront Shuttle returns, offering rides across downtown
JP Patches clown statue vandalized in Fremont, fans hope to make repairs
Why swimming in WA lakes right now could be deadly
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
"Who is funding these protestors?": Gabbard, Trump spread conspiracy theory about paid demonstrators
Anyone who has been to a Donald Trump rally can attest that the president loves playing the hits. He's trotting out a golden oldie of MAGA conspiracists to wave away the ongoing protests in Los Angeles: the demonstrators were paid to b there. Both Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard spread the theory that Los Angeles protestors were paid actors while speaking to the press on Wednesday. Trump, attending a performance of "Les Miserables" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., floated the fringe belief on the red carpet. "These are radical left lunatics that you're dealing with," he said. "They're tough. They're smart. They're probably paid many of them. As you know, they're professionals." Gabbard echoed that idea on Fox News, telling host Jesse Watters that Trump admin will be investigating the boogeyman that far-right pundits have made up. "This is something that the Department of Justice and the FBI are looking into. Who is funding these protestors?" she said. "We've seen the ads put up on Craigslist offering people thousands of dollars a week to go out and conduct these violent and dangerous riots." The paid protestor theory has drifted from the antisemitic fringes of the right, where it took the form of specific allegations against billionaire and Democratic Party donor George Soros. It's since become a common complaint under the GOP's big tent for nativists of all stripes. Even four years after thousands of Republican supporters stormed the Capitol on nothing more than a mistaken belief in a rigged election, GOP voters and politicians can't imagine an organic response to ICE raids in Los Angeles (which has the benefit of being something that is actually happening). That Republicans have themselves been caught paying actors to appear at GOP events has done little to stop the conspiracy-mongering. And that Craigslist ad mentioned by Gabbard? It was a prank posted by a podcaster who goes by the name "Goofcon1."
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
"Who is funding these protestors?": Gabbard, Trump spread conspiracy theory about paid demonstrators
Anyone who has been to a Donald Trump rally can attest that the president loves playing the hits. He's trotting out a golden oldie of MAGA conspiracists to wave away the ongoing protests in Los Angeles: the demonstrators were paid to b there. Both Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard spread the theory that Los Angeles protestors were paid actors while speaking to the press on Wednesday. Trump, attending a performance of "Les Miserables" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., floated the fringe belief on the red carpet. "These are radical left lunatics that you're dealing with," he said. "They're tough. They're smart. They're probably paid many of them. As you know, they're professionals." Gabbard echoed that idea on Fox News, telling host Jesse Watters that Trump admin will be investigating the boogeyman that far-right pundits have made up. "This is something that the Department of Justice and the FBI are looking into. Who is funding these protestors?" she said. "We've seen the ads put up on Craigslist offering people thousands of dollars a week to go out and conduct these violent and dangerous riots." The paid protestor theory has drifted from the antisemitic fringes of the right, where it took the form of specific allegations against billionaire and Democratic Party donor George Soros. It's since become a common complaint under the GOP's big tent for nativists of all stripes. Even four years after thousands of Republican supporters stormed the Capitol on nothing more than a mistaken belief in a rigged election, GOP voters and politicians can't imagine an organic response to ICE raids in Los Angeles (which has the benefit of being something that is actually happening). That Republicans have themselves been caught paying actors to appear at GOP events has done little to stop the conspiracy-mongering. And that Craigslist ad mentioned by Gabbard? It was a prank posted by a podcaster who goes by the name "Goofcon1."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Los Angeles Craigslist ad for paid protesters a prank, podcast host says
The Brief A Craigslist ad appeared to be offering thousands of dollars to people volunteering to protest in Los Angeles. The ad was posted the day before thousands began protesting in downtown Los Angeles against ICE and President Donald Trump's immigration policies. The advertisement was reportedly a prank, according to the podcast host who made the listing. LOS ANGELES - Protests against ICE and President Donald Trump's immigration policies have continued for days in downtownLos Angeles, with the president calling in the National Guard and hundreds of Marines to control the demonstrations. Now, a recent ad posted on a Los Angeles-area Craigslist forum is at the center of controversy. Some are using the ad as proof that protesters are being paid, but the man who made the listing now says the whole thing was a prank for a podcast. RELATED: LA ICE protests, Day 5: Demonstrators gather again as tensions continue to run high What we know An ad popped up on the Los Angeles Craigslist forum for general labor jobs late last week. The listing was looking for "the toughest bad***es in the city," offering to pay them $6,500 to $12,500 a week. "We are forming a select team of THE TOUGHEST dudes in the area. This unit will be activated only when the situation demands it — BUT YOU GET PAID EVERY WEEK NO MATTER WHAT," the now-deleted ad reads. "High-pressure, high-risk, no room for hesitation. We need individuals who do not break, panic, or fold under stress and are basically all around kick*** dudes." The listing said it was looking for people with military experience, "except for Marines, we don't work with Marines anymore, long story," and people with "experience facing trained opposition." The backstory A day after the Craigstlist ad was posted, massive protests broke out in downtown Los Angeles to speak out against multiple ICE raids across the region. Protests continued throughout the weekend and into the next week in Los Angeles, Paramount and Orange County. SUGGESTED: Newsom fires back at Trump over deployment of National Guard in LA Trump has since deployed the National Guard and several hundred Marines to the area to try and disperse the protesters. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has sued the Trump administration over the move, but a federal judge on Tuesday denied Newsom's request to block the deployment. But the advertisement was not related to these immigration protests in Los Angeles at all. It was apparently a prank. What they're saying Joey LaFleur posted the ad. He hosts a prank show called "Goofcon1." LaFleur told the Associated Press that he "had no idea it was ever going to be connected to the riots. It was really a weird coincidence." SUGGESTED: Trump defends decision to 'SEND IN THE TROOPS' amid LA protests In a livestream the day after the post, LaFleur said he'd posted another similar ad in a forum in the Austin, Texas, area. The other side On his Truth Social account on Sunday, Trump posted simply "paid insurrectionists," amid a flurry of posts about the LA protests. While it was unclear if Trump knew about the Craigslist ad, many people shared screenshots of the listing on social media, claiming it was proof of paid rioters. "JUST ANNOUNCED: CALIFORNIA RIOT IS A FUNDED OPERATION," read one X post, adding that "President Trump was right about everything." "Accidentally goofed the entire nation on the latest @goofcon1," LaFleur said in an Instagram story, addressing the Craigslist ad. The Source Information in this story is from an unlisted Craigstlist ad, a YouTube stream from the "Goofcon1" channel, an interview between podcast host Joey LaFleur and the Associated Press, comments made by President Donald Trump at Fort Bragg on June 10, 2025, a June 8, 2025, Truth Social post from Trump and other social media posts about the Craigslist ad.
