DALLAS — James Jefferys went online looking for a new set of rims for his car.
It's a trip that left him bruised, battered and broke — and one thing that was stolen that day was more precious than money.
Jefferys — "shocked and filled with fear — calls it the most frightening day of his life.
He went to an Oak Cliff home to buy rims for his classic car, a sale he had arranged through the craigslist Web site.
Soon after the 29-year-old diesel mechanic got there and came face-to-face with his contact, he thought his life was about to end.
"He said, 'Open your f*****g mouth!' And he put a gun into my mouth," Jefferys recalled.
The thieves stole his car and the cash he brought with him. But most importantly, they took his Olde English Bulldogge, Impala, who was riding in the back seat.
"They could torture him, kill him; they do a lot of dog-fighting in that area," Jefferys said.
The victim has posted his lost dog on several Web sites — including craigslist — and filed a report with Dallas police.
Jefferys is also offering a $2,000 reward for Impala's safe return.
"I don't care about the money, or anything else... I just want my dog. He's like my best friend," Jefferys said.
He added that he doesn't even care if the reward goes to the men who held him at gunpoint and stole Impala. The dog is all that matters.
E-mail dschechter@wfaa.com
