Not exactly the purr-fect crime.
An ex-Australian soldier in full tactical gear allegedly burst into an animal shelter with an assault rifle and tied up a worker in a failed bid to get his kitty back, according to a report Wednesday.
Tony Wittmann, 44, was allegedly so mad when workers at the Lost Dogs’ Home in Melbourne told him he needed to wait a day to pick up the pet, he’s accused of threatening a 23-year-old female worker with the gun in the facility’s parking lot, according to ABC Australia.
“Do as I say and listen to me, I won’t shoot you,” he allegedly told her, a court heard this week. “Don’t try anything or I’ll shoot you.”
Wittmann led the worker into the building with a firearm that looked like “something a SWAT team in the movies would use,” the unidentified worker said, according to the outlet.
He allegedly ordered the frightened gal to direct him toward the cats, then demanded that she get on her knees and tied her up with zip-ties.
“The accused said, ‘I’m going to close this door. If I see you, I’ll shoot you,'” Detective Senior Constable Jo MacDonald said in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
“On this occasion, he’s acted to get back possession of a cat, which he was only going to be without for possibly 10 hours.”
But Wittmann — who served in the Australian army before he was discharged for failing to render efficient service — ultimately left empty-handed.
He was charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and armed robbery and denied bail.