A Cleveland woman whose car was stolen over two weeks ago has gotten the vehicle back but without the remains of her cat Bubbles, whose ashes she had just picked up from her veterinarian before the theft.
On Saturday, May 27, police arrested Frederick Howard, 37, who was stopped driving a light blue 1990 Buick LeSabre. The cars owner, Mary Pennington, reported it stolen May 10.
Howard has refused to talk about what happened to the cats remains, police said.
Howard is charged with driving with a suspended license and two counts of receiving stolen property, according to police Lt. Christopher Viland.
Pennington, who had Bubbles for 18 years before the cat died, says she used her car to make daily rounds to feed stray cats in her Cleveland neighborhood, where she's lived for 23 years.
The black cats remains were in a white tin decorated with spring flowers and the tin was inside a blue, plastic cat carrier with her name on the bottom. Pennington had picked up the ashes from her veterinarian and parked in the late afternoon.
Pennington is offering a reward for the return of the ashes. Anyone with information can call the Cleveland Police Deptartment at (423) 476-1121.
Posted: June 2, 2006, 5:00 a.m. EST