Search underway for stolen Woodside bodega cat beloved by local community

Antonio, the beloved cat of the owners of K’Glen Deli and Sari Sari Store in Woodside. (Photo provided by Glen Alagasi)

Aug. 8, 2024 By Shane O’Brien

A popular bodega cat that has been a mainstay of the Woodside community for well over a decade was stolen on Friday night in an incident that has left customers shocked.

Antonio, an 18-year-old tabby cat, has lived in K’Glen Deli and Sari Sari Store at 39-16 65th St. since the store opened around ten years ago.

Store owner Glen Alagasi said Antonio was stolen outside the store at around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2. CCTV footage of the incident shows a man wearing a red cap and a grey shirt picking up the cat and walking away from the store.

Screenshot of alleged cat thief via CCTV. (Photo provided by K’Glen Sari Sari)

Alagasi said Antonio is an old cat in need of regular medication for “maintenance,” adding that he has been desperately worried about the cat since the incident.

He said Antonio was extremely popular among customers and members of the local community and noted that the cat previously lived in a Mexican grocery store that operated at the location before K’Glen Deli opened ten years ago.

Alagasi said Antonio was often sighted playing with other cats in the streets surrounding the store and said the cat would regularly come back at meal times.

“I referred to him as a teenager,” Alagasi said. “He goes and hangs out with his friends, and then at dinner time, he comes back home.”

Alagasi believes that the cat thief had a clear intent to steal the cat and could not have possibly mistaken him for a stray.

“He really meant to take the cat because if he thought that he might be a stray, our door was open. He could have just asked if the cat was a stray or not.”

Alagasi added that the incident has been extremely upsetting, not just for him but for members of the local community. He said a number of people have inquired about Antonio’s whereabouts since the incident on Friday, stating that some customers have broken into tears when they heard the news that he had been stolen.

Alagasi filed a report with the NYPD and said officers are hopeful that Antonio will be found.

“We’re so lucky because one of the police officers was an animal lover. He even showed us a cat tattoo on his bicep.”

Alagasi is additionally placing fliers around the neighborhood in the hope of finding Antonio.