A Florida man is behind bars after stealing a woman’s purse, which had something unexpected inside—a tiny, weeks-old kitten.
34-year-old Benjamin Leroy Cummings was arrested and charged with robbery without a weapon, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Jail records show he is listed as a transient.
The incident happened on Thursday morning near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Palm Avenue in Fort Myers. According to police, Cummings snatched a bag full of the victim’s belongings, but little did he know, the bag also contained a one-month-old kitten.
Investigators jumped into action, reviewing security footage to track Cummings’ last known location. They eventually found the woman’s stolen belongings inside an abandoned car. But there was a problem—the kitten wasn’t in the bag.
Then, in a surprising turn of events, as officers examined the stolen items, the tiny kitten suddenly crawled out from under the car and walked right up to them. The woman later confirmed it was indeed her kitten, and thankfully, it was safely returned to her.
Police haven’t shared details about where or how they arrested Cummings.
Reports say Cummings has a long criminal history dating back to 2005, with more than a dozen past arrests.
He is currently being held at the Lee County Jail on a $10,000 bond and is expected to appear in court on February 3.
