The police have revealed new details about the disappearance of celebrity cat Diegó, who was found earlier today. RÚV reports that the person who stole him from Skeifan intended to give him as a Christmas present.

Diegó was taken from his spot at the A4 store in Skeifan about a day and a half ago. His disappearance caused a stir on social media.

The thief was spotted boarding a bus with Diegó, and witnesses reported the sighting online. “The Diegó community just went into overdrive,” said Eygló Anna, a volunteer with Dýrfinna, an organisation dedicated to reuniting lost pets with their owners.

This isn’t the first time Diegó has been taken, but Eygló Anna hopes he will finally be left in peace.

Beloved member of A4

Diegó is a regular at several stores in Skeifan, including Hagkaup and A4, where he has a designated spot. He also frequently visits the local Suzuki dealership.

Sigurborg Þóra Sigurðardóttir, store manager at A4, described Diego as a beloved member of their team.

“Diegó is essentially our cat. He comes here almost every day, sometimes even before opening hours, and often stays until we close. Everyone loves him, staff and customers alike,” she said.

Diegó’s disappearance weighed heavily on A4 employees, who consider him part of the family.

“The idea that someone could take a pet and just walk off with it is deeply unsettling,” Sigurborg Þóra said.

Catnapper identified

Security camera footage was instrumental in identifying the thief. The cat’s owner was informed that Diegó’s theft had been captured on video. Around 9:00 this morning, police reviewed the footage and began their search.

Diegó was found at a private residence by 11:00 following tips from various sources. A key lead came from Dýrfinna, which identified where Diegó might have been taken and by whom.

Police traced the suspect through the footage, identifying their residence. Upon arriving, they discovered that Diegó had been given a new name, Spori, and was being kept by someone who had received him as a Christmas gift.

The person who received Diegó as a gift said they had already grown attached to him but immediately returned him to police after learning Diegó had an owner.

“As far as we know, they took very good care of him and genuinely thought they’d received a Christmas gift,” said María, a representative of Dýrfinna.

Possible legal action

Diegó was taken to the police station and later returned to his rightful owner by a Dýrfinna volunteer.

“We’re just happy he’s safe and sound. Everyone who saw him was hugging him and thrilled to see him,” María said.

While the act of taking Diegó is considered theft and carries potential legal consequences, María noted that it is unclear whether charges will be filed.

“We can’t comment yet on whether there will be legal action. A formal complaint would need to be filed first, and we were beginning to prepare for that,” she added.

Dýrfinna extended its thanks to everyone who provided tips and to the police for their efforts in recovering Diegó.