Man, 68, accused of stealing 8-year-old neighbor's pet cat

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An 8-year-old Allentown boy was reunited with his pet cat Wednesday afternoon after police said a neighbor stole it.

Authorities said 68-year-old James Augustine stole China the cat after she got loose in December from the family’s Excelsior Street home.

Ryan Reber’s mother told Channel 11’s Jodine Costanzo that when she asked Augustine for China back, he threatened her. The mother then called police.

Officers found the cat inside Augustine’s house and arrested him. He’s facing charges of receiving stolen property, theft and stalking.

When asked why he didn’t give the pet back in the first place Augustine said, “They couldn’t treat the cat like a cat when they had it. Why give it back?”

Reber said he is very happy to finally have his cat back.

WPXI