‘You can’t make this stuff up:' Man steals kitten named Magnolia from Maryland pet store, then uses purr-petrator as an accomplice in a bank heist

“You can’t make this stuff up,” Stephanie Stullich, whose nonprofit organization rescued Magnolia, told the news outlet. “Who would believe it?”

Magnolia’s strange day out

Jacob Loethen, the man accused of taking Magnolia, was taken into custody by the Prince George’s County police. Loethen was charged with robbery, second-degree assault and theft of property valued between $100 and $1,500, according to court documents obtained by The Washington Post.

Thankfully, Magnolia made it through the ordeal unharmed. Once her unexpected excursion was over, Magnolia was returned to Pet Supplies Plus in Beltsville. Her brief brush with crime, though absolutely no fault of her own, appears to have only added to her appeal.

Interest in adopting Magnolia surged after the incident. Stullich said more than 20 people submitted applications for her, an unusually high level of attention for Beltsville Community Cats. Typically, she said, one of the rescue’s cats might receive only a handful of applications.

Moneywise reached out to Beltsville Community Cats for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

As unusual as Magnolia’s day may sound, pet theft is not unheard of. An analysis of FBI crime data found that 6,821 reported incidents involved a stolen pet in 2023. Still, stolen pets are a drop in the bucket compared to other property theft reported that year.

Magnolia found a new home

Magnolia had only recently entered the rescue system. Beltsville Community Cats took her in on June 8 after she was found wandering in Beltsville. Less than a month later, the group brought her to Pet Supplies Plus to introduce her to potential adopters.

A poster described Magnolia as “sweet, playful, and always purring” and said she would thrive alongside another playful cat.