Brooklyn bodega owner pleads for cat-napping suspect to return his kitten
PARK SLOPE, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A bodega owner in Brooklyn is pleading for a cat-napping suspect, who was caught on video, to bring back his feline friend after swiping him and taking off.
Everything was perfectly fine at a Brooklyn deli on July 29, until it wasn't.
"Shame on you, go and get a kitten of your own," a woman named Roberta said.
Roberta's very direct message was for a man seen lingering outside Green Olives Deli and Grill on 7th Avenue that day.
He hung around for about 15 minutes, then nonchalantly, he swooped in and walked away with Boka, the owner's beloved kitten.
"The cat was so friendly, everyone in the neighborhood cat came here to play with the cat," owner Majeed Albahri said.
The stolen cat is magnificent Russian Blue.
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Albahri got Boka in January. He was just two weeks old.
Customers adore the sweet feline who was an instant hit on social media.
"We all related to him and it made the neighborhood nice," Roberta said.
At first, Albahri thought Boka simply strolled around the corner to visit with his buddies, but hours turned into days. Was it a runaway?
Albahri figured he would look at his cameras to see which way Boka went and that's when he saw the suspect up to no good.
"I just need to know my cat is well, healthy," he said.
It has been a rollercoaster of emotions since the cat-napping.
There was one false alarm, a tip that Boka would be returned, but that fell apart.
"If he brings my cat back, unharmed, I'm not going to press charges," Albahri said.
Police are also on the lookout for the suspect.
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