New York 'bodega cat' swiped from neighborhood store returned to family, boy with autism

New York police released photos of a man wanted for allegedly stealing a 2-month-old kitten from a bodega in the Bronx. (New York Police Department)

In a rare purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect ending, the Bronx "bodega cat" -- that was stolen from a neighborhood store where it was an autistic boy's pet -- was reportedly returned Thursday to its rightful residence.

No other details about the 2-month-old kitten's return were immediately released, ABC7 reported.

News of the literal cat burglar's kitten-napping during the weekend drew such shock and outrage that even Queens Councilman Robert Holden offered a $250 reward – no questions asked – for the safe return of the kitten, named Luna. Luna was the pet of a 10-year-old boy with autism and the kitty lived in the family's Bronx store. It was not immediately clear if someone was eligible to claim Holden's reward.

"I've never heard of somebody stealing a cat. It's like the last thing you're thinking is that somebody's going to come and get your cat, no. I mean he could get a cat anywhere, but to us she's special," Suzie Pena, the store co-owner, told NY1.

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Surveillance footage shows a man wearing a Cookie Monster T-shirt carrying the 2-month-old kitten in his hands while he reaches for a drink in a cooler. After purchasing the soda, the unidentified man walked out with the animal.

"We checked the camera. There you go, the guy that was here standing that bought the soda walked out with the cat in his hand and I didn't see it at all," Ismael Diaz, the store’s co-owner, told NY1.

The NYPD released images of the suspect Wednesday.

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"My name is 'Luna' I'm 2 months old and that guy in the picture stole me from my home, I'm a very sweet kitten that loves to play with everyone, I never been outside before so my mommy Is scared he will hurt me, he lured me out from under a table, police report has been made, and the news are been inform, please help me come back home," the deli wrote in a Facebook post in which it also shared photos and surveillance footage from the incident.