- A man stole a kitten named Magnolia from a Maryland adoption centre before robbing a bank
- He asked a bank employee to hold the stolen kitten while handing a teller a note demanding cash
- The suspect had visited the pet store daily for two weeks before stealing the 3.5-month-old cat
A US man has been arrested for attempting to rob a bank, while having a stolen cat as an accessory. The bizarre incident took place in Maryland when the man initially walked into an adoption centre where he stole Magnolia, a 3.5-month-old tuxedo kitten, before walking across the parking lot to a nearby PNC bank branch. The suspect then asked a bank employee to hold the kitten, moments before handing a teller a note demanding cash.
As per the surveillance camera footage accessed by NBC Washington, the man was wearing a light-coloured T-shirt and black beanie when he entered Pet Supplies Plus on Baltimore Avenue before running out seconds later, carrying the small kitten.
The store employees revealed that the man had reportedly come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time. Finally, on the day of the crime, he managed to use a key to open the cat adoption area and whisked little Magnolia away.
Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats said she received a call from a pet store employee about the cat burglary. She ran over to the store and "saw all of these police cars and thought, ‘Wow, that's a heck of a response for a stolen cat.'”
“But then I realised they all were going down to the bank. They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank,'” Stullich told the publication.
Prince George's County police confirmed they took a man into custody at the bank.
A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page later joked that Magnolia's brief "life of crime" was over, thanks to the police officers.
"Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager's office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal. Now that her brief “life of crime” is behind her, Magnolia is back to doing what she does best: stealing hearts," read the post.
After her little adventure, Magnolia is still waiting to be adopted. "She's still looking for her forever home, where the only things she'll be stealing are treats, toys, and cuddles."
