BELTSVILLE, Md. — A man accused of stealing a kitten from a Maryland pet store allegedly carried the animal into a nearby bank and attempted to rob it before being quickly apprehended.
The incident began around 10:30 a.m. when surveillance video showed a man wearing a light-colored T-shirt and black beanie entering a Pet Supplies Plus store on Baltimore Avenue in Beltsville, NBC4 reported. Moments later, he ran from the store carrying Magnolia, a three-month-old black-and-white kitten that was available for adoption.
Witnesses told NBC4 the man ran directly to a nearby PNC Bank in the same shopping center.
Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats rescue told NBC4 she received a call from a store employee reporting that someone had used a key hanging nearby to open the adoption enclosure and take the kitten.
Surprised by Police Presence
Stullich said she drove to the shopping center and initially was surprised by the large police response.
“Immediately saw all of these police cars, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat,’ but then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich told NBC4.
Here, Hold My Kitten
According to Stullich, officers later informed her that Magnolia was inside the bank. She told NBC4 the suspect entered the bank carrying the kitten, asked an employee to hold the animal, and then handed a teller a note demanding cash.
Police responded within minutes, NBC4 reported. The attempted robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was taken into custody, and Magnolia was recovered unharmed.
