Latest news with #AlejandroAcostaOliveros
Times
22-05-2025
- Times
Alleged ‘serial cat killer' arrested in California
An alleged serial cat killer has been arrested in California over claims that he abducted and slaughtered more than a dozen cats. Alejandro Acosta Oliveros, 45, was taken into custody on Wednesday by police in the city of Santa Ana, 30 miles south of Los Angeles. He has been charged with felony animal cruelty. Oliveros was identified as a suspect after an investigation into more than a dozen reports of neighbourhood cats going missing. Police claim he abducted the animals or lured them to his home in the neighbourhood of Wilshire Square, where he allegedly tortured and killed them. Last month the abduction of a ten-month-old Bengal lynx cat, Clubber, was captured on surveillance video and posted to Facebook by its owner, Eva Corlew. The
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Alleged Serial Cat Killer Charged with Animal Cruelty by Luring Cats to Their Death with Food
A California man described as a serial cat killer has been charged Alejandro Acosta Oliveros was charged with felony animal cruelty and felony theft of a companion animal The 46-year-old was arrested following accusations that he had killed over 12 cats at his home in Santa AnaA man from California has been charged with luring and killing cats. On Tuesday, May 20, the Orange County District Attorney's Office confirmed in a press release that Alejandro Acosta Oliveros was charged with felony animal cruelty and felony theft of a companion animal. PEOPLE previously reported in April that the 46-year-old was arrested following allegations that he had killed over 12 cats at his home in Santa Ana. 'A Santa Ana man accused of luring cats with cat food in order to kidnap the animals to stomp them and beat them to death has been charged with felony animal cruelty along with felony theft of a companion animal for stealing a Bengal Lynx from a Westminster home,' the release by the Orange County DA read on Tuesday. 'He is also accused of having methamphetamine on him when he was booked into jail.' PEOPLE has contacted the Orange County District Attorney's Office, the Santa Ana Police Department and the Westminster Police Department for further comment. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Per the DA's release, Oliveros faces 'a maximum sentence of four years and four months if convicted of two counts of felony animal cruelty, one felony count of theft of a companion animal, and an additional one year in custody if convicted of one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance.' As a result of Oliveros' alleged danger to the public, prosecutors are requesting his bail be raised to $100,000 from the fixed $20,000 bail. 'Additional evidence will be reviewed to determine whether additional criminal charges can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,' the release continued. Authorities say the Santa Ana Police Department's animal control had received reports of dead or injured cats 'near the area of W. Wilshire Avenue and S. Clara Street' since November 2024. Police then received seven more reports between November and April, 'including animals suffering from broken backs and bloody faces, all in the vicinity of W. Wilshire Avenue and S. Clara Street.' Oliveros was also captured on CCTV, in different incidents, luring cats with food before picking up the animals and 'driving away in a white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.' The investigation is still ongoing. People with information are advised to contact the Santa Ana and Westminster Police Departments. The suspect is set to appear for his initial arraignment at the Central Justice Center on Wednesday, May 21. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Alleged California ‘serial cat killer' released on bail
A man arrested on suspicion of luring and killing an unknown number of cats in Southern California has been released on bail, police confirmed Thursday. Alejandro Acosta Oliveros, 45, from Santa Ana, was arrested after police served a search warrant at his home on Wednesday. Oliveros was described as a 'serial cat killer' on a video posted to the Santa Ana Police Department's Instagram page following his arrest. Police told KTLA that Oliveros confessed and that they were still trying to figure out just how many cats had been killed, but said they believe it was 'a lot.' Santa Ana residents have been reaching out on social media sites such as Nextdoor for weeks to alert neighbors and police about neighborhood cats being taken and even killed. 'We saw our cameras, and this guy just grabbed a neighborhood cat, seemed like he tied his legs up and took him around 5 p.m.,' read one of the Nextdoor posts. 'He went walking on Shelton Street towards McFadden. The cat is black with light brown spots.' A person in another post said the man injected a cat that later died. 'Hello! I'm near El Salvador park, and my neighbor's cat was killed by a man who injected it with some sort of substance.' Police said following Oliveros' arrest that they expected charges to be filed, but further details were not immediately provided upon his release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
'Serial cat killer' arrested after felines 'tied up and injected with substance'
Alejandro Acosta Oliveros, 45, was arrested after several cats were found dead and footage allegedly caught him abducting felines from several different neighbourhoods A man alleged to have killed multiple cats has been arrested after being caught on camera, according to police. Alejandro Acosta Oliveros, 45, was apprehended after police shared a clip of a suspect snatching a cat while it was between two cars. His arrest came following numerous "disturbing reports involving the suspected abuse and killing of cats," according to police. They did not reveal the actual number of cats that were found dead in suspicious circumstances. Oliveros was allegedly "positively identified" by numerous witnesses and he has since been charged with animal cruelty charges, although no details about whether any incriminating evidence being found has yet to be revealed. Surveillance footage appeared to show a man at the end of one driveway as he attempted to lure one kitten out with food. Oliveros is then alleged to have picked up the cat before fleeing the area in a white pickup truck. Following his arrest by police in Santa Ana police, in California, Oliveros was taken into custody. Orange County neighbours reported seeing a man taking cats. One resident told local network KTLA: "We saw our cameras and this guy just grabbed a neighbourhood cat, seemed like he tied his legs up and took him around 5pm." Another person said: "My neighbour's cat was killed by a man who injected it with some sort of substance." In another disturbing incident in the neighbouring Westminster area, the killer was spotted snatching a 10-month-old Bengal Lynx cat from outside a home. According to a 2021 report from there were some 2,952 animal cruelty offences that were recorded in Califronia that year. This made up about 17 per cent of all nationwide cases, although the state has a population larger than numerous states combined. The case will remind British readers of the so-called UK cat killer who was alleged to have murdered hundreds of pets across the countr y. The fiend - formerly known as the Croydon Cat Killer, and then subsequently the M25 Cat Killer - drew international attention after a spate of acute mutilations with similar characteristics. Cats would be found decapitated with their tails cut off. Both cuts would be incredibly clean, and there would be no blood present. Some time later - even a few days later - the head or tail would reappear in the exact same location to where the body was found. Hundreds of cases were reported in just three years, from 2015. The South London Animal Investigation Network claimed that a killer or killers were responsible for the gruesome deaths of cats, kittens, foxes, guinea pigs, rabbits and squirrels over an eight-year period. Vets said that each of the killings were caused by humans after analysing them in person or by looking at detailed photographs, according to the group. Mutilations were recorded across England with cases from as far south as Truro, in Cornwall, to Harrogate, in North Yorkshire. The alleged UK cat killer, previously known as the Croydon cat killer led to a joint investigation between the Metropolitan Police and the local charity South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty. But police closed Operation Takahe in September claiming there was a lack of evidence of any human involvement in the deaths of several cats in the area.
New York Post
24-04-2025
- New York Post
Alleged ‘serial cat killer' caught in California: cops
A sicko 'serial cat killer' has been busted in California after being caught on video, according to cops. Alejandro Acosta Oliveros, 45, was arrested Wednesday by Santa Ana police as the department shared footage of a hooded suspect snatching a cat between two cars. The arrest followed 'multiple disturbing reports involving the suspected abuse and killing of cats,' cops said, without elaborating on exactly how many pets were involved Alejandro Acosta Oliveros, 45, was booked on animal cruelty charges. Santa Ana PD Video released by police allegedly shows Oliveros snatching a cat between cars. Santa Ana PD Oliveros was 'positively identified by several victims and witnesses' — and officers charged him after finding evidence of the crimes at his home, the department said, without detailing what was found. Neighbors in the Orange County area had been posting to local social media sites about the missing cats for weeks. 'We saw our cameras, and this guy just grabbed a neighborhood cat, seemed like he tied his legs up and took him around 5 p.m.,' read one post on Nextdoor, according to KTLA. Another post said: 'My neighbor's cat was killed by a man who injected it with some sort of substance.' In one disturbing case in neighboring Westminster, the killer was caught on camera snatching Clubber, a 10-month-old Bengal Lynx cat, from outside a home on March 21, according to KTLA. Surveillance footage showed a man at the end of Corlew's driveway attempting to lure the kitten, possibly with food, Westminster police said. He then picked up the cat and fled in a white pickup truck. Cops said days later they received a tip that Clubber was at a home in Santa Ana and returned the cat, unharmed, to his owners. Oliveros was booked at the Santa Ana Jail on felony animal cruelty charges.
