Reality TV star Duane “Dog” Chapman is calling on the person who broke into a Colorado business he owns and stole show merchandise and items belonging to his late wife to turn himself in.
Chapman told reporters in the Denver suburb of Edgewater on Friday that he’ll ask police not to press charges if the person surrenders in the next 48 hours.
Chapman spoke outside his damaged storefront as police released surveillance video of a man suspected in Monday night’s burglary.
Chapman said the stolen items included the bounty-hunting gear of his late wife, Beth Chapman, who died in June after battling cancer. But the star of the “Dog the Bounty Hunter” franchise said he’s leaving the case to police.
“The guy has 48 hours to call me and ask for forgiveness,” Chapman said.
“The Bible says it is an unforgivable sin to steal from the dead. LARGE CASH REWARD FOR ANY INFORMATION FIR WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS !!!” Duane Chapman tweeted on Aug. 2.
The Bible says it is an unforgivable sin to steal from the dead
LARGE CASH REWARD FOR ANY INFORMATION FIR WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS !!! https://t.co/TEUKHjOkvH— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) August 2, 2019
Chapman’s business is on a busy street that borders Denver.
Police Chief John Mackey said the suspect had a large backpack, was in the store for a short amount of time and left without anything in his hands. Police believe some of the merchandise may already be being sold online.
A passerby discovered a broken glass door early Tuesday at the business. Police Cpl. Bob Brink said earlier Friday that officers boarded the door after they couldn’t reach anyone affiliated with the business, called “Free as a Bird Bail Bond.”
Someone with the firm reported the burglary on Thursday, Brink said. The business is not open to the public.
Employees were still putting together an inventory of what was taken. Inside the store, some racks for hoodies and T-shirts were empty. A computer and cash register were dumped in a pile behind a front counter, and a “Dog the Bounty Hunter” mug was smashed in a nearby case holding mugs and books.
As Chapman spoke on a narrow sidewalk outside the store, some passing motorists yelled out their support. Chapman said he cried after touring the store and that the one thing he wants back the most is a Taser used by Beth Chapman.
Funeral services were held July 13 in Beth Chapman’s home state of Colorado.
The Chapmans starred in the A&E show for eight seasons until it was canceled in 2012. The show followed the couple as they apprehended people who avoided arrest warrants.
They later starred in Country Music Television’s “Dog & Beth: On the Hunt.” WGN America is in production on a new series featuring the couple called “Dog’s Most Wanted,” set to premiere Sept. 4.
‘Let Me Go’
Chapman said he is still grappling with the death of his wife, Beth, after she died last month of cancer.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on July 10, Chapman said, “The last few moments she said, ‘Come in here right now, in the bathroom.’”
He added: “I went in and she said, ‘Look at me.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, you’re freaking beautiful baby.’ (And she said,) ‘Look at me, Duane Chapman.’ And I did, I always saw Beth and she said, ‘Please, let me go.’”
The reality TV star continued, saying, “And I didn’t even make a decision, I almost said, ‘I can’t.’ Before I could say, ‘Alright,’ she couldn’t breathe and I called the ambulance … But every day she talked as if she was not there. ‘Here’s what to do with this, here’s what to do with that. Don’t keep running your mouth. When they ask you a specific question, just answer that.’”
Beth Chapman then died on the morning of June 26 at a Hawaii hospital.
She was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017 before doctors declared her cancer-free. In November 2018, however, she was again hospitalized due to cancer.
“For two to three years, she knew this might happen,” Chapman told ET. “So she would say, ‘Who is going to sit next to you?’ And I said, ‘No one.’”
“So, prepared? No, you’re never, ever prepared. You can’t prepare,” he added to the outlet of losing his wife. “There is no way. I did not know that this was going to happen that day.”
By Colleen Slevin
Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips and Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.
