Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.

The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.

“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.

Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.

A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.

“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”

Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.

Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.

Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.

According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.

That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”

“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”

Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.

Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.

The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.

Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.

A dog jumping onto a kitchen counter accidentally turned on a toaster and ignited nearby combustibles, sparking a fire that killed three pets inside a Belcamp, Maryland, home, according to multiple reports, citing local fire officials.

The blaze broke out July 10 while the unidentified family was away, prompting neighbors to rescue two dogs before fire crews arrived, WBAL‑TV and Fox 45 reported.

The Abingdon Fire Company responded at 5:35 p.m. ET to the home and brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes, according to the fire station’s Facebook post. There were no human injuries, but investigators reported extensive fire, soot, smoke and water damage throughout the single‑family home, Fox 45 reported.

Ring home security video captured the moments before the fire. Investigators said the footage showed one of the family’s dogs climbing onto the counter and pawing at items near the toaster, helping deputy state fire marshals determine the fire’s point of origin and ultimately rule its cause as accidental.

Three pets – a dog named Dakota and two unidentified cats – died in the blaze, according to Fox 45. Two other dogs, Bo and Addie, were rescued by neighbors. The family’s bearded dragon survived after spending 24 hours in critical care, officials said.

Neighbors rescue two dogs from burning home

Fire officials said Bo was the dog seen on video inadvertently turning on the toaster. The appliance ignited nearby materials, allowing the fire to spread rapidly through the kitchen before crews arrived.

Neighbors who saw smoke coming from the home reached Bo and Addie before conditions worsened.

Officials detail damage to home

Officials estimated the home sustained about $150,000 in structural damage and roughly $50,000 in damage to its contents, though some assessments place the total loss closer to $200,000, Fox 45 reported. Firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading to neighboring properties, but the interior of the home was heavily damaged.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT

When it comes to wineries, people residing in or visiting Sussex County have the most in-state options.

But though Delaware has few such destinations within its borders, a slew of wineries nearby across state lines provide easy access and opportunity for those seeking a relaxing atmosphere and perhaps some music and food to accompany their liquid delights from the vineyard.

Northern Delaware residents, especially those in the Newark area and suburbs north of Wilmington, are particularly fortunate because of the numerous options available in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and Cecil County, Maryland.

But Sussex County gets to lead off this list of local wineries, because nobody needs to leave the state to get there.

Salted Vines Vineyard

Adrian Mobilia’s vineyard roots go deep, stretching four generations back to Italy, and more recently to his family’s vineyard in northeastern Pennsylvania. He’s planting another legacy in Delaware, first at Fenwick Wine Cellars and now at Salted Vines in Frankford since 2016. The name stems from the winery’s location near the sea and bays, as salty ocean air wafts across the grapes.

Mobilia and his wife, Jessica, slowly plant their 26-acre plot in Frankford at an acre a year. So far, that includes cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec and Italian vermentino grapes, with chardonnay and pinot noir soon to follow.

A summer concert series is among the winery’s many attractions.

Hours: Sunday to Thursday: noon to 6 p.m.; Friday: noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday: noon to 7 p.m.

Address: 32512 Blackwater Road, Frankford, Delaware

Website: saltedvines.com

Twin Branch Winery

Twin Branch is the newest winery in Delaware, founded in 2023. But it already may be one of the most famous, after appearing on New Jersey psychic Theresa Caputo’s Lifetime show, “Raising Spirits.”

The vineyard planted its first grapes in 2013, but Twin Branch didn’t open to the public until April of 2023, hosting weddings and weekly live music and plenty of tasters.

Food trucks also stop by the vineyard to offer tasty bites alongside smooth wine, often with musical accompaniment.

Hours: Wednesday to Thursday: 3 to 9 p.m.; Friday to Saturday: noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday: noon to 6 p.m.

Address: 14756 Twin Branch Road, Milton, Delaware

Website: twinbranchwinery.com

Nassau Valley Vineyard

Delaware’s oldest active winery, tucked behind a mini-mall near car detailers and equipment stores, has the character of a sudden green oasis. The vineyards appear as if by surprise, a jumpscare of rusticity with picnic tables placed within shade-rows of trees.

Peg Raley and her father Bob Raley founded the vineyards in 1987 – planting chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot on a family farm outside Lewes. Decades later, the Raleys are the founding family of Delaware grapes.

Hours: Daily: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed Mondays in the off-season). Last call for tastings is 4:30 p.m.

Address: 32165 Winery Way, Lewes, Delaware

Website: nassauvalley.com

Harvest Ridge Winery

The winery, in a rural area along the Mason-Dixon line, straddles the Delaware/Maryland state line on the far western edge of Kent County.

“I always looked at it like Kevin Costner’s ‘Field of Dreams.’ Build it and they will come,” co-owner Chuck Nunan told Delaware Online/The News Journal in 2014. 

He and his wife, Chris, founded Harvest Ridge Winery in November 2013, expanding their acreage in 2018 and adding a tasting room in Toughkemon, Pennsylvania, a short drive from Wilmington. Along the way, they founded what they claim is the first modern hard cider brand in Delaware, Rebel Seed.

Hours: Sunday to Thursday: noon to 5 p.m.; Friday to Saturday: noon to 8 p.m.

Address: 447 Westville Road, Marydel, Delaware

Website: harvestridge.wpenginepowered.com

Paradoxc Winery

Just four miles across the Delaware border, Paradoxc offers a particularly wide variety of indoor and outdoor settings, making it a year-round destination.

Especially appealing is the Meadow, bordered by grape vines, where there’s a musical stage and room for as many as 500 visitors on pleasant days. A large selection of reds, whites and specially designated sweets provide plenty of choices for wine drinkers.

Hours: Thursday to Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Monday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Address: 1833 Flint Hill Road, Landenberg, Pennsylvania.

Website: paradocx.com/

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1723 Vineyards

This winery’s name is derived from its location having been chartered as New London Township in 1723, though subsequent re-mapping means it is now in Franklin Township.

More importantly, owners Sarah and Ben Cody’s winery is barely three miles across the Delaware border. They tout their cabernet franc, petit verdot and chambourcin reds and a “go-to” sauvignon blanc among the whites. But there are many tastes to sample, including rosé and sparkling wines.

The tasting room and patio afford views of the vineyards from which the grapes are grown that make those wines.

Hours: Thursday to Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.’; Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Address: 5 McMaster Blvd., Landenberg, Pennsylvania.

Website: 1723vineyards.com/

Penns Woods Winery

Founded in 2001 by Italian immigrant and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Gino Razzi, Penns Woods Winery opened its tasting room in 2006. In 2010, Razzi brought his daughter in to help grow the up-and-coming business.

As the winery took off, Razzi and a partner planted a second vineyard site in 2013, and in 2019, expanded to a third location.

Visitors can enjoy vineyard views, wine by the glass and bottle as well as local beer, cider and more in the family- (and dog-) friendly space. Live music is a staple and other events tied in with holidays or other happenings are frequent.

Tasting room hours: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: noon to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday: noon to 7 p.m.

Address: 124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

Website: pennswoodswinery.com

Chaddsford Winery

Sold recently to a Wilmington real estate developer and his family − who own the New Jersey-based White Horse Winery − Chaddsford Winery is one of Pennsylvania’s oldest and largest wineries.

It was founded in 1982 by innovative winemaker Eric Miller, a California native who once lived in Burgundy and made wine in upstate New York, and his wife, Lee Miller.

The Millers made European-style wines and were among the first locally to produce unoaked chardonnay and produce red wines from northern Italian varietals.

The couple retired and stepped away from the business in 2012. The winery’s most recent owners before last year’s sale were the Petrillo family of New York, who had worked with the Millers.