Santa Ana alleged serial cat killer is a court no-show, warrant issued for his arrest
Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, 46, faces a maximum sentence of four years and four months in prison if convicted of two counts of felony animal cruelty and one felony count of theft of a companion animal. He also faces a misdemeanor charge for methamphetamine possession and was scheduled to be arraigned at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana on Wednesday.
Santa Ana Animal Control began receiving reports of dead and injured cats in November 2024, and reports of cruelty to cats continued in Westminster and Santa Ana neighborhoods through April 2025.
Seven reports of dead and injured cats were reported over six months in 2024, including animals suffering from broken backs and bloody faces, all in the area of W. Wilshire Avenue and S. Clara Street.
In March, a Westminster woman reported her Bengal Lynx cat missing. Her home surveillance video showed a man luring the cat with what appeared to be a can of food before grabbing it and driving off in a white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. The cat was returned to its owner following social media outcry, and the suspect remained unidentified.
On April 3, a Santa Ana man allegedly saw his neighbor, later identified as Oliveros Acosta, pick up a cat and slam it to the ground. Santa Ana Animal Control responded and took the dead cat away, prosecutors said.
Two days later, animal control responded to reports of a sick cat that was not moving. According to prosecutors, surveillance video showed a man in a white Toyota Tacoma truck pick up what appeared to be a cat out of the truck's bed, drop it on the ground and stomp on it. The man was later identified as Oliveros Acosta, prosecutors said.
Oliveros Acosta was arrested by both Santa Ana and Westminster police on April 24. He posted bail and was released.
Bail for Oliveros Acosta has been set to $50,000. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Santa Ana and Westminster police departments.
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