A couple was all packed, getting ready to lock the front door one last time on moving day, when someone stole their car from right in front of the house. Inside that car was a carrier containing the three family cats.
For Paige and Ben, the three felines are part of their family, their life. The cats were in a carrier inside a white BMW SUV parked outside their house in the 2600 block of Newton Street NE about 3 p.m. Thursday.
Paige said she left the engine running for the air conditioning while she ran inside for one last thing because the afternoon had gotten warm.
“I said to Ben, ‘Is that my car?’” Paige said. “Because we see my car driving away. And then I just screamed, ‘They’ve got my car with my cats in it!’”
Video from a neighbor’s home around the corner shows a gray sedan making a fast U-turn in the intersection moments before the theft. The movers said they saw a man get out, jump in Paige’s white SUV and take off with the cats inside.
The frantic couple contacted police, telling them the BMW had a tracking device.
“So, we opened the app and we saw it,” Paige said. “It doesn’t track the full history, we can’t see where it was, but we were telling the cops, ‘This is where we see it. This is where we see it!’”
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D.C. police officers located the stolen vehicle at East Capitol and 53rd Streets in Southeast. It had damage indicating it had been in a minor collision. The items inside were found in a nearby alley between 53rd Street and 53rd Place SE.
Everything except Tiny, Scoot, Winkie and the cat carrier.
Paige has handed out dozens of flyers. The couple said many people have offered to help find the beloved pets, all rescues, who helped make their house a happy home.
“My wishful thinking is that they are a family with kids and they’re the kids enjoy them for a day,” Paige said. “Maybe they had work; they couldn’t go to a shelter today. Hopefully, tomorrow they’ll bring them to a shelter. If their kids want a cat, we would love to take them to get one.”
The couple hopes anyone with security camera images of any part of the incident will share them with police. “Get our cats back,” Paige pleaded.
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