Man tries to rob Maryland bank using stolen kitten

A Maryland man was arrested on Monday, after he allegedly stole a three-month-old kitten from a pet store and attempted to use her as an accessory during a nearby bank robbery. Prince George's County Police Department officers apprehended the suspect inside the financial institution on Baltimore Avenue in Beltsville.

NBC 4 reported that the bizarre chain of events began at approximately 10:40 a.m. when the suspect entered a Pet Supplies Plus location. Store manager Aaron Kurkowski explained that the man took advantage of an empty counter, immediately snatched a black-and-white tuxedo kitten named Magnolia, and ran out of the shop. Security camera footage captured the suspect, wearing a light-coloured shirt and a black beanie, fleeing the pet store with the animal.

According to animal rescue group Beltsville Community Cats, the man ran across the shared shopping centre parking lot directly into a nearby PNC Bank branch. Once inside, the suspect walked up to the bank manager and asked them to hold the kitten. While the manager held Magnolia, the man wrote a demand note and handed it to a teller, demanding all the cash in the register.

The bank robbery was unsuccessful, and arriving police officers quickly took the suspect into custody inside the building. No injuries were reported during the incident, and the kitten was found safe and unharmed inside the bank manager's office.

Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats rushed to the scene after receiving an emergency call from pet store employees. Stullich noted that she initially assumed the large police response was solely for the stolen kitten before realising officers were entering the bank. Store staff revealed the suspect had visited the shop nearly every day for weeks, specifically focusing his attention on Magnolia. The kitten has since been returned to the rescue group and is currently available for adoption.