Latest news with #Oliveros
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
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
California man charged after authorities say he lured and beat cats to death
A Southern California man was charged with felony animal cruelty after he was accused of using food to lure and kill multiple cats over a period of months. Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, 46, of Santa Ana, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on charges that also include theft of a companion animal, a Bengal lynx he is accused of luring and stealing, and possession of methamphetamine, prosecutors said. It wasn't clear whether has a lawyer in the case. The Offices of the Orange County Public Defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night. Oliveros was arrested April 24 amid ongoing investigations by police in Santa Ana and Westminster and freed on $40,000 bail, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said in a statement Tuesday. Authorities said reports of a man luring cats with canned food and killing them by beating or stomping them began in Oliveros' neighborhood and other central Orange County communities late last year and continued to come in through spring. The Santa Ana and Westminster police departments zeroed in on Oliveros after witnesses identified him as a suspect in crimes against cats, and a search of his home on April 23 turned up evidence linking him to the attacks, Santa Ana police said in a statement. The DA's office and police also noted multiple incidents in which witnesses described a white Toyota pickup used by the person. According to the DA's statement Tuesday, crimes alleged to be connected to the defendant include an April 5 fatal stomping of a cat captured on security video, an April 3 report of a man holding a cat over his head and slamming it down and a March 21 report of a companion animal, a Bengal lynx, stolen after it was lured by a man with a can of food who was using a white Toyota Tacoma pickup. That cat, named Clubber, was ultimately returned to its owner, authorities said. "Between November and April, seven reports of dead and injured cats were reported to Santa Ana Animal Control, including animals suffering from broken backs and bloody faces," the DA's office said. On April 27, some of the residents who attended a nighttime Santa Ana vigil urging justice in the matter became unruly, vandalized property and threw objects, the city's police said in a statement. "While we support the community's right to peacefully assemble, the Santa Ana Police Department will not tolerate acts of violence, vandalism, or any threats to public safety," it said. Oliveros' ability to remain free amid the ongoing investigation and case has angered some animal advocates. On Tuesday, the district attorney's office said it will seek a much higher bail amount, $100,000, arguing Oliveros poses a danger to the public. He faces the possibility of more than five years behind bars if he is convicted on all counts, the DA's office said. Santa Ana, the seat of Orange County, is about 33 miles south-southeast of downtown Los Angeles. This article was originally published on
NBC News
21-05-2025
- NBC News
California man charged after authorities say he lured and beat cats to death
A Southern California man was charged with felony animal cruelty after allegedly using food to lure and kill multiple cats over a period of months. Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, 46, of Santa Ana, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on charges that also include theft of a companion animal, a Bengal lynx he allegedly lured and stole, and possession of methamphetamine, prosecutors said. It wasn't clear if has retained a lawyer for the case. The Offices of the Orange County Public Defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night. Oliveros was arrested April 24 amid ongoing investigations by police in Santa Ana and Westminster and freed on $40,000 bail, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said in a statement Tuesday. Authorities said reports of a man luring cats with canned food and killing them by beating or stomping them began in Oliveros' neighborhood and other central Orange County communities late last year and continued to come in through spring. The Santa Ana and Westminster police departments zeroed in on Oliveros after witnesses identified him as a suspect in crimes against cats, and a search of his home on April 23 turned up evidence linking him to the attacks, Santa Ana police said in a statement. The DA's office and police also noted multiple incidents in which witnesses described a white Toyota pickup used by the suspect. According to the DA's statement on Tuesday, crimes connected to the defendant are alleged to include an April 5 fatal stomping of a cat captured on security video; an April 3 report of a man holding a cat over his head and slamming it down; and a March 21 report of a companion animal, a Bengal lynx, stolen after it was lured by a man with a can of food who was using a white Toyota Tacoma pickup. That cat, named Clubber, was ultimately returned to its owner, authorities said. "Between November and April, seven reports of dead and injured cats were reported to Santa Ana Animal Control, including animals suffering from broken backs and bloody faces," the D.A.'s office said. On April 27, some of the residents who attended a nighttime Santa Ana vigil urging justice in the matter became unruly, vandalized property and threw objects, the city's police said in a statement. "While we support the community's right to peacefully assemble, the Santa Ana Police Department will not tolerate acts of violence, vandalism, or any threats to public safety," it said. Oliveros' ability to remain free amid the ongoing investigation and case has angered some animal advocates. On Tuesday, the district attorney's office said it will seek a much higher bail amount, $100,000, arguing Oliveros poses a danger to the public. The defendant faces the possibility of more than five years behind bars if convicted on all counts, the DA's office said. Santa Ana, the seat of Orange County, is about 33 miles south-southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
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.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man Suspected Of Being A Serial Cat Killer Apprehended In Southern California
Another animal cruelty story has unfolded as a suspected serial cat killer was arrested in Southern California this week after several local reports about missing cats. Residents had been sharing warnings about a pet snatcher seen on surveillance footage, allegedly luring cats away from their homes. The arrest in Orange County has left the community shocked and relieved as the investigation unfolds. This cat case follows a disturbing trend of animal cruelty from a 2023 incident in Northford, Connecticut, where a man named Silva was arrested for allegedly killing his daughter's bulldog with an unknown weapon. The Santa Ana Police Department released footage showing the suspect, identified as Alejandro Acosta Oliveros, allegedly capturing a cat between two parked cars. This marked the conclusion of an investigation sparked by multiple reports of cats being lured, harmed, and killed in the area. In the caption alongside the video, the department's official release confirmed the investigation, stating: "Over several weeks, the Santa Ana Police Department received multiple disturbing reports involving the suspected abuse and killing of cats in a local neighborhood. The reports alleged that a man had been luring neighborhood cats to and around his property, where he then harmed or killed them." The department quickly assigned the case to a Police Investigative Specialist (PIS), who worked alongside victims and witnesses to positively identify Oliveros as the suspect. As the investigation progressed, detectives obtained a search warrant for his residence, which led to his arrest. "Acosta was arrested and booked at the Santa Ana Jail on felony charges related to animal cruelty," the statement concluded. Following the announcement of his capture in the Santa Ana Police Department's Instagram post, citizens, especially cat lovers, expressed their outrage over the cruelty inflicted on innocent animals. One user sharply criticized the police for obscuring Oliveros's face, stating, "Why are we blocking his face? Show that guy!" Another commenter demanded stronger consequences, noting, "Nice. Now let's treat him like he treated those innocent animals." "Don't even offer him a plea deal," wrote one frustrated user. Others took a lighter approach, like this netizen who joyfully exclaimed, "Street cats rejoice!" One individual, who identified as a cat owner, wrote, "Good job. Now please keep him there for a very long time, and do not let him just walk out like nothing. As a cat owner myself, I am horrified by this man's cruel actions against a living creature. Please be this innocent animal's voice." While some praised the police for the arrest, others raised concerns about the broader implications of the suspect's actions. "That's how it's done. This could lead to him doing this to people. You guys are awesome," one user warned. The shocking animal cruelty case in Southern California stirs up memories of a similar incident from 2023 in Northford, Connecticut, where a man, identified as Silva, was arrested for allegedly killing his daughter's bulldog using an unknown weapon. The Blast reported that dispatchers from the North Branford Communications Center had informed officers that Silva had committed the heinous act with an "unknown weapon." When officers arrived at the scene, they reportedly found a blood trail leading from the living room to Silva's bedroom, where they encountered him with a bloody nose and covered in blood. Authorities also noted that Silva appeared to be "under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and became immediately uncooperative with the officers." He was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital for medical treatment. After a thorough search of the home, police discovered the deceased bulldog and found a blood-stained kitchen knife inside its kennel. The alleged murder of the bulldog in Northford, Connecticut, sparked intense reactions online, with social media users voicing their outrage under the now-deleted tweet. One user posted their strong feelings, writing, "THROW THIS MAN INTO THE GRAND CANYON... but maybe light him on fire first." Another expressed sympathy for the animal's owner, writing, "The girl will be very sad." Others focused on the severity of the crime, with one person stating, "That's just chilling. It's unimaginable that someone would inflict such violence against an innocent animal, let alone their own family's pet." Further, the netizen highlighted the importance of animal rights and the need for justice. "The details of the alleged crime are pretty graphic, and it's good that the police were called and able to respond quickly," the commenter wrote, adding, "Pets are part of the family and deserve to be treated with love and respect, not harmed or abused. It's tragic and unacceptable." Not all animal cases end in tragedy, as Allen's former dog found a happy ending following a public backlash. The story gained attention when the singer returned her black Labrador, Mary, to Animal Haven in New York City after adopting her in May 2021. The decision led to criticism from animal rights groups like PETA. The Blast highlighted that Tiffany Lacey, Executive Director of Animal Haven, spoke out to clarify that the shelter's policy allows animals to be returned if an adoption doesn't work out. Lacey confirmed that Mary had been rehomed with a new family, bringing relief to those concerned about the dog's well-being. With the arrest of Alejandro Acosta Oliveros, Southern California can now breathe a little easier as authorities continue their investigation.
