'Mystery kitten' found in stolen vehicle belongs to suspect

Kitten found in stolen vehiclePhoto byMeriden Police Department

MERIDEN, Conn. — Police who found an adorable kitten in a stolen car have located the animal’s owner: A juvenile who fled and was arrested after the car crashed.

On Thursday, August 10, two detectives in a Meriden Police Department cruiser were involved in a motor vehicle accident on South Broad Street with a stolen vehicle.

Several agencies were actively looking for the stolen vehicle because it had been used in armed robberies in Wallingford, Branford, Southington, and Torrington.

Allegedly, drivers of the stolen car were seen earlier that day driving head-on toward Meriden police officers and civilians, then swerving at the last possible moment.

After the crash with the Meriden Police Department cruiser,, six suspects fled but were soon arrested.

While processing the stolen vehicle after the accident, a seven-week-old male kitten was located under the seat. The investigation led police to believe this kitten was acquired somewhere between the robbery in Wallingford, Branford, Southington, and Torrington.

The department said the suspects said nothing to officers about the pet.

The Meriden Police Department posted on its Facebook page, asking if anyone in the community was missing the kitten. In the meantime, a number of people contacted authorities looking to adopt the now-famous cat.

Police were eventually led to the owner by someone who responded to the post, and expressed their gratitude via this Facebook message:

“The kitten recovered in the crashed stolen motor vehicle has been returned to the owner’s family. The kitten belonged to one of the juveniles that was arrested and sent to juvenile detention. While we have no idea why the juvenile did not alert us that it was their kitten or make attempts to have someone contact us regarding the status of the kitten, it was returned to the juvenile’s mother.

“We appreciate everyone’s efforts in sharing the post and raising awareness of our efforts to reunite him with his family. It was a response to one of the posts that led us back to the juvenile. We also appreciate all the calls and emails to our Animal Control Officers with offers to adopt our furry friend.”