More than two dozen animals are missing tonight after a late-night break-in at a small animal sanctuary in southern Arizona. The Lidtke Small Animal Foundation in Marana, just north of Tucson, says around 30 guinea pigs—many of them in fragile health—were taken during the theft.

Investigators with the Pima County Sheriff’s Office say they've identified two persons of interest in the crime, both female, but no arrests have been made. Surveillance video from around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning shows two teen girls tampering with the sanctuary’s security cameras, at times covering lenses with wet soil and even pressing a sock over one doorbell camera.

“My heart just sunk, because I felt like they were here for nothing good,” said Alexis Camero, a board member for the foundation.

Camero says t

See Full Page