For several anxious days, a tiny kitten named Jabal was missing from the Brooklyn bodega he called home, leaving his owner and an entire neighborhood wondering whether they would ever see him again. The three-month-old cat had quickly become a familiar face at the Eighth Street Mini Market in Park Slope, where customers regularly stopped to greet him. Then one morning, Jabal disappeared. Surveillance footage showed two people walking away with the kitten, setting off a neighborhood search that ultimately brought him home and led to criminal charges against a Brooklyn woman.
Jabal had wandered outside the store on the morning of September 10 when a man and woman encountered him. Surveillance footage showed the man picking up the kitten and carrying him away as the pair continued down the street.
For owner Imad “Jimmy” Innab, Jabal was far more than a store mascot. The kitten had joined the family after the death of Victoria, the bodega’s previous cat, who had been part of the store for 17 years. Losing another beloved animal so soon was especially painful.
Word of Jabal’s disappearance quickly spread through Park Slope. Neighbors shared information online, distributed missing posters and helped search for the little cat, while Innab offered a $500 reward for his safe return.
A Neighborhood Helps Bring Jabal Home
The search eventually focused attention on Mary Sierra, a 58-year-old Brooklyn woman accused of being involved in taking Jabal. Sierra later acknowledged that she had taken the kitten home, but maintained that she believed he was a stray she had encountered several houses away from the store. She has denied stealing him and described herself as an animal lover who has three rescue dogs.
According to reports, people in the neighborhood urged Sierra to return Jabal after explaining that the kitten belonged to the bodega. Jabal was eventually brought to the 78th Precinct by Sierra’s stepson, allowing police to reunite him with Innab.
The kitten’s return brought an emotional end to days of uncertainty. Back at the store, Jabal was soon playing with his toys again while employees and neighbors celebrated having their familiar little companion safely home.
Sierra was taken into custody and arraigned on charges that included petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, and stealing a companion animal. She was released without bail and continued to dispute the accusation that she had stolen Jabal.
Innab, meanwhile, was focused on keeping his kitten safe. He said he planned to get Jabal an identification tag and look into having him microchipped, precautions that could make it easier to establish his ownership if he ever wanders away again.
For the Park Slope community, the happiest part of the story was much simpler. A small kitten who had become part of the rhythm of neighborhood life was finally back where people knew and loved him. What began with an empty spot inside a local bodega ended with Jabal safely home and surrounded once again by familiar faces.