Kitten found in stolen vehicle in Meriden belonged to juvenile suspect
A kitten that was found in a stolen vehicle after a crash with police in Meriden belonged to a juvenile charged in the incident and was returned to the suspect’s mother, police said.
Police in Meriden were looking to find the owners of the 7-week-old gray and white kitten that was found under the seat of the stolen vehicle and released a photo of the kitten on Tuesday asking for the public’s help. The vehicle crashed with a police cruiser on South Broad Street on Aug. 10 after allegedly being involved in a string of armed robberies, according to the Meriden Police Department.
The department announced Thursday that the kitten belonged to “one of the juveniles that was arrested and sent to juvenile detention,” according to a statement on their Facebook page.
More information about the charges against the juvenile was not available due to their age.
The department said the animal control department received multiple calls from people interested in adopting the kitten and appreciated the public’s help in trying to find the kitten’s owners. A tip that was called in led police back to the suspect, police said.
Officers from multiple towns had been on the lookout for the vehicle the kitten was found in, which was suspected of being involved in armed robberies in Wallingford, Branford, Southington and Torrington just hours before the crash, Meriden police said.
Earlier that same day, the driver of the vehicle also allegedly drove head-on at Meriden police officers and civilians, swerving to avoid hitting them at the last moment, police said.
Officers had first spotted the car and two other stolen vehicles at Hubbard Park in Meriden. As officers approached the suspects, they reportedly lit one car on fire and drove off in the other two, Meriden police said.
The department said they did not know why the juvenile did not tell police the kitten belonged to them.
“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,” police said in their statement.