Kittens rescued from detective's engine

OCOEE, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - Call it a hairy situation -- stand off or sorts, landing four furry suspects behind bars.

"It was a whole three-hour ordeal," said Ocoee Police Detective Michelle Grogan.

It stopped her in her tracks before even getting out of her driveway Monday morning.

"Got in [the car], didn't have the radio on, I put it in reverse, backed up a little bit, and I heard it. The 'meow… meow'. I was like ... are you kidding me?" the detective explained.

Detective Grogan immediately hit the brakes and ran out of her car. Kittens were holed up between the engine and the front bumper of the detective's unmarked patrol car.

"I called in reinforcements," said Det. Grogan.

Another officer, some city mechanics rushed to the scene. A sanitation worker on his weekly route stopped to help too, all trying to coax the crying critters out.

"One of the guys is over the hood, the other guy is on his back. So between all of us, we got two of them right away."

The meowing continued. Animal Control officers found two more kittens under the hood. As the the detective looked at the furry little faces, she realized they looked familiar.

"I had seen them over the weekend gaining shelter underneath our cars in the drive way. I put it together. I'm a detective, you know, detective skills."

Definitely not her typical suspects, these guys getting into her car on their own free will.

"I guess those cats were the special victims who needed me," said Detective Grogan.

The "Under the Ford Fab Four" are now safe in foster care, where they will stay, until they're big enough to be adopted out by Orange County Animal Services.

The Ocoee Police Department posted images on their Facebook. See the full Facebook post below.