While John Sears, 70, slept near Grape Day Park, someone stole is mule which launched a city-wide search for his mule named "Little Girl."
Surveillance video from nearby businesses confirmed that Little Girl was taken by two suspects on Sunday night just after midnight. The two suspects were seen near North Broadway and Clark Street leading the mule East along the flood control bike path.
John Sears was just 10-feet away and sleeping when the mule disappeared. Sears claims that he knew she was stolen because he tied her up to a tree and knew that she was secure.
Sears, who is a self proclamed monk, migrates by foot across California with what used to be 3 of his mules every year. In the winter he heads to San Diego and in January he heads back to Sascramento according to his website.
Currently Sears only has one mule who is 28-years-old with cream colored markings on her legs and ears and weighs about 1,000 lbs according to the Escondido Police Department.
The Escondido Police Department said they recovered the mule at Kaile and El Norte with the assistance of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department helicopter on Monday (2/26) afternoon.
Escondido resident David Martinez, 28, has been arrested and charged with grand theft.