He ran over a Cary K9 after stealing a pickup truck. How long he’ll be in prison
Almost two years after he ran over a police dog, a Cary man was sentenced in federal court Thursday.
Joshua Andrei Whittlesey, 26, was test-driving a Ford Raptor pick-up truck with a salesperson from Hendrick’s Cadillac in Cary on July 21, 2023, when he pulled out what appeared to be a firearm and told the man to give him the keys and get out, according to court documents.
The salesman complied, then called 911, leading to a lengthy police chase involving the Cary, Durham and Raleigh police departments at speeds up to 100 mph, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina said.
As Whittlesey attempted to flee, he ran over K9 Dakota with the Cary Police Department, according to court documents.
Dakota, a then-3-year-old Belgian Malinois, had just joined the department the previous month, a Cary Police Department Facebook post stated. The dog was seriously injured and spent almost a month in the hospital, CBS17 reported.
Whittlesey subsequently abandoned the vehicle and was arrested in Burlington two days later, court documents state. He told investigators he pointed a BB gun at the salesman, not an actual firearm, but the weapon was never recovered, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Whittlesey was indicted by a federal grand jury April 11, 2024, and he pleaded guilty to a charge of carjacking in November. In a request for a lighter sentence, his attorney wrote that Whittlesey had a troubled childhood, spending the first two years of his life in an orphanage in Romania before being adopted by an American couple.
“While the offense itself is undeniably serious, Mr. Whittlesey’s history reveals a young man deeply scarred by early trauma and adverse familial circumstances,” the request states.
Diagnoses of ADHD, bipolar disorder and depression only worsened Whittlesey’s struggles, as did the adoption of four younger sisters with significant needs, according to the request. From an early age, Whittlesey reportedly abused alcohol, occasionally turning to prescription medication, his attorney said.
Whittlesey also had a lengthy criminal history, including at least nine charges related to sexual abuse of children in North Carolina, court records show.
“Mr. Whittlesey’s lack of self-regulation and terrible decision-making are evidenced by his extensive and concerning criminal history,” the attorney wrote. “Mr. Whittlesey views these diagnoses not as excuses, but as evidence of his need for treatment.”
Whittlesey requested he receive a sentence of 10 years and one month in prison and three years of supervised release, as well as mandated mental health treatment, substance use counseling and sex offender counseling.
District Judge Louise Wood Flanagan partially granted that request Thursday, sentencing Whittlesey to 12 years and seven months in prison, 11 months of which are to be served consecutively with an unrelated state sentence. Upon leaving prison, he will be on supervised release for three years.
Whittlesey also must pay $13,236.01 in restitution to the town of Cary and $15,586.95 to the dealership, court records show.
This story was originally published July 11, 2025 at 7:00 AM with the headline "He ran over a Cary K9 after stealing a pickup truck. How long he’ll be in prison."
