Charges filed against OSU student and owner in cat's disappearance

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A cat's disappearance has led to charges filed not just against the suspect in her kidnapping, but also one of the owners that was searching for her.

Muhammad Aziz -- a 22-year-old Ohio State University student accused of taking Mindy the cat in a plastic bag -- is facing four charges filed Oct. 29 by Columbus prosecutors, including misdemeanor petty theft, criminal damage or endangerment, and two counts of criminal mischief. In an accompanying misdemeanor case filed Oct. 31 by the State of Ohio, Franklin County Municipal Court records show Aziz is also facing a charge of abandoning animals.

Anis Mohd Zaini, a 23-year-old OSU student and Mindy's co-owner, first spoke with NBC4 around the time her cat went missing from her boyfriend and Aziz's shared home. A neighbor's security camera caught Aziz putting the feline in a plastic bag on Sept. 27, before he left with her. When Aziz returned, he didn't bring Mindy or the bag back with him. Mindy was missing for weeks before being found 11 miles away in Dublin, thanks to her microchip.

But Mohd Zaini's boyfriend and Mindy's other owner, 21-year-old Luqman Tengku, is also facing charges. Franklin County Municipal Court records show Tengku was arrested the day after Mindy disappeared, and received a count of misdemeanor assault as well as aggravated menacing. Aziz's two cases indicate he was never arrested and instead received mailed summons to court for both.

Tengku has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and has a jury trial scheduled for Nov. 19. Aziz has not entered pleas in either of his two cases, and has no scheduled appearances in court as of Tuesday.

Since Mindy's disappearance, Mohd Zaini said she’s noticed the cat has some health issues as a result of the stress, but is hoping for a full recovery.

“She sleeps a lot, not eating and not playful as she used to be,” Mohd Zaini said. “She also has a scar on her forehead.”