Moscow police have detained a man accused of burglarizing an apartment and stealing cash, jewelry and a pedigree cat, Russian media reports said Thursday.
The alleged cat burglar, 22, is accused of having climbed construction scaffolding to gain entry to a fifth-story apartment during a New Year's Eve heist, and making off with valuables, including a hairless cat of the expensive Sphynx breed, TASS reported.
After detaining the suspect, police have recovered some of the stolen objects — but not the cat, the report said.
"Unfortunately, the stolen cat, which was so dear to the victim, has not yet been found," a police spokesperson was quoted as saying.
A purebred Sphynx cat can cost 100,000 rubles ($1.620), with exceptional Sphynx examples selling for 200,000 rubles ($3,250), Interfax news agency reported.