Charleston – Authorities executed a search warrant at the home of an accused pet thief, but found no evidence of the missing calico cat that a local family desperately seeks to recover.
Surveillance Footage Captures Alarming Incident
Security cameras recorded the moment a silver SUV pulled up near a Church Street residence on January 15. A person stepped out, approached the sidewalk where four-year-old Willa lounged, and quickly scooped up the 17-pound calico before driving away.
Minutes later, another video from a nearby gym on Wentworth Street showed the same vehicle stop abruptly. A cat appeared on the dashboard, prompting the driver to grab the animal, remove its collar embedded with an AirTag, and discard the items on the road. The AirTag pinged there around 4 a.m. the next day, alerting Willa’s owners to the discarded tracker.
The footage emerged after the Layfield family gathered clips from neighbors, businesses, and even a downtown school. They traced the vehicle to an Uber Eats delivery of Greek food to a nearby home around 5:30 p.m. that evening.
Suspect Faces Multiple Charges, Offers No Clues
Police identified Katy Barnes, a 38-year-old Goose Creek resident and Uber Eats driver, as the suspect. Officers arrested her on January 24 for petit larceny related to the theft. She posted $2,125 bail the following day and declined to discuss Willa’s whereabouts with investigators…