Neighbor charged in cat disappearance
By ERIC SCHELKOPF – eschelkopf@kcchronicle.com
BATAVIA – Jody Lay is still hopeful that she will find her 9-year-old declawed gray domestic shorthair cat, Linus, who has been missing since May 28.
And she is happy that authorities have charged her neighbor, Brenda Scharlau, 55, of the 100 block of North Harrison Street, with one county of misdemeanor theft, for allegedly abducting the cat and dumping it near Lily Lake or Virgil.
“For a human being to do that to an animal is totally uncalled for,” Lay said.
A man who answered Scharlau’s home phone on Tuesday declined to comment.
Batavia Deputy Chief Gregory Thrun would not comment on any statements Scharlau might have made to police.
She has a court date of Aug. 11 at the Kane County Judicial Center.
Scharlau became the subject of a police investigation after she bragged at a party about luring Linus into a trap, police said.
The case was also reviewed by the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, which declined to authorize felony charges against Scharlau.
After review by the State’s Attorney’s Office and Batavia police, Thrun said.
It was determined the misdemeanor charge would be the most appropriate charge in the case.
Jody Lay and her husband, Matt Lay, continue to search for Linus.
“We’ve received a lot of phone calls from people, but nothing has panned out,” she said.
“I got a phone call from a woman in Maple Park last week about a cat that matched Linus’ description that was coming around.”
But, Lay said, the cat stopped coming around the woman’s house before the couple was able to go out to Maple Park and possibly identify the cat.
Those with any information about Linus’ whereabouts can call the Lays at 630-406-9013.
