GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA — A Florida college student was arrested on April 15 after demanding a $20 ransom for the safe return of a missing cat.

University of Florida student Ilana Barnes posted on Facebook about her 1-year-old kitten, Tina, who had gone missing. The post was seen by fellow UF student Madeleine Joan Kaye, who then replied to Barnes with a string of threatening messages.

Kaye sent several text messages demanding a $20 ransom or "something bad" would happen to the kitten.

Barnes figured out the messages were sent from Kaye by tracing the number. She remembered that Kaye once asked her to date one of her friends, which then created hostility between the two.

One of the messages read: "I don't give a f--- about your cat, but you don't deserve a beautiful animal when you're a disgusting person."

When police confronted Kaye about the location of the cat, she denied all knowledge of the kitten and claimed the text messages were a joke.

Barnes later found her cat unharmed near a house in her neighborhood.

Kaye was charged with extortion and had been taken to the Alachua County Jail on Friday. She was released on a $5,000 bond on Saturday afternoon.

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