The Stratford woman charged with falsely reporting a Derby dognapping which set off a state-wide, social-media fueled search for her family’s yellow Labrador will see the charges against her dropped in a year.
Carolyn Novotny, 65, appeared Thursday (June 20) before Judge Charles Lee at Superior Court in Derby, where the judge granted her application for accelerated rehabilitation, a diversionary program for first-time offenders.
In court she told Judge Lee her arrest was due to poor judgment she exercised while being treated for a medical problem, and assured him that she wouldn’t be arrested again.
Background
Police said that on March 11 Novotny reported to police that the family dog, a 7‑year-old Yellow Labrador named Bella, had been stolen from her car when she was inside Home Depot on Main Street for about 10 minutes.
The family posted information about the alleged theft on “See, Click, Fix“ and the Valley Indy first reported the allegations March 13.
The family also created a Facebook page, “Bring Bella Home,” where the dog’s story was shared thousands of times.
The alleged dognapping attracted considerable news attention and touched off a statewide search for the family pet by dog lovers.
In fact, Novotny had given the dog away, unbeknownst to her husband, via a Craigslist ad because she felt the family could no longer care for it, according to the arrest warrant.
“The facts, as reported by the defendant, didn’t add up,” Assistant State’s Attorney John Kerwin said in court Thurday.
On the day alleged dognapping was reported, Novotny was actually delivering the dog to a Simsbury couple, the warrant says.
The warrant says the Novotnys paid the Simsbury couple $750 to get Bella back on March 28.
Three days later, the warrant says Novotny came clean to Derby police about making up the story about Bella being stolen.
Novotny said she gave the dog away because she and her husband had moved from a house with two acres to a condo, and that because of a recent diagnosed medical condition, she gets stressed, and felt the responsibility of taking care of a dog too much for her, the warrant says.
‘Bella’s Home’
After Kerwin ran over the facts of the case Thursday in court, Judge Lee asked, “What happened to the dog?”
“The dog was returned to her husband,” Marjorie Sozanski, another prosecutor, said. “Bella’s home.”
Prosecutors did not object to Novotny’s application, but asked Judge Lee that he order Novotny to pay Derby police $500 and change for the cost of its investigation.
Novotny’s lawyer, John Walkley, called the matter an “unusual case” and said his client is “still going through a particularly difficult medical situation.”
“She was on medication at the time that made her not think rationally,” Walkley said.
Walkley said Novotny’s behavior was a one-time slip-up.
“I think it is clear that thing was one of those aberrations that occur in people’s lives,” he said.
Judge Lee then asked if there were any allegations of mistreatment to Bella.
“None whatsoever,” Walkley said.
The judge also asked Novotny how she could assure him she wouldn’t be arrested again.
She told him that she wouldn’t be appearing before him again and said medication was to blame for her arrest.
“I was on a lot of medication for a blood problem I have,” she said. “It’s caused a lot of other issues.”
Judge Lee granted Novotny’s application, noting that while the charges against her were serious, he didn’t think she’d be arrested again.
The judge continued the case for a year and ordered Novotny to reimburse the Derby Police Department $501.57 for the cost of their investigation within the next month.
He also mandated she perform 20 hours of community service at the nonprofit of her choice.
