Latest news with #OliverosAcosta
Newsweek
23-05-2025
- Newsweek
'Serial Cat Killer' Sparks Warning for California Pet Owners
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. California prosecutors have asked the court to increase the bail of a man accused of killing multiple cats due to the "danger" he poses to public safety after he didn't show up for his arraignment earlier this week. Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, a 46-year-old Santa Ana resident, is accused of luring cats with cat food, kidnapping them and stomping and beating them to death, the Orange County district attorney's office said in a Tuesday press release. Why It Matters Oliveros Acosta is facing two counts of felony animal cruelty, one felony count of theft of a companion animal, a Bengal Lynx, and one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance. Santa Ana Animal Control began receiving reports of injured and dead cats near the area of W. Wilshire Avenue and S. Clara Street in November 2024. Between November and April, animal control received seven reports that included felines who were suffering from broken backs and bloody faces. What To Know Oliveros Acosta was arrested by the Santa Ana Police Department and the Westminster Police Department on April 24. He was released after posting the $40,000 statutory bail ($20,000 separately on the Westminster and Santa Ana cases) before the police department finished its investigation and referred the case to the Orange County district attorney's office's animal abuse prosecutor. The district attorney's office called for Oliveros Acosta's bail to be increased to $100,000. When Oliveros Acosta didn't show up for his arraignment, Superior Court Judge Stephen J. McGreevy issued a bench warrant for his arrest and raised his bond to $50,000, USA Today reported. The Santa Ana Police Department wrote last month on Facebook that Oliveros Acosta was positively identified by several victims and witnesses as the suspect responsible for the alleged animal cruelty. Officials called the inquiry a "serial cat killer investigation." Detectives then obtained a search warrant for Oliveros Acosta's residence and collected evidence related to the case. The 46-year-old is also accused of having methamphetamine on him when he was booked into jail, prosecutors said. What People Are Saying Santa Ana Police Department wrote on Facebook last month: "We recognize the strong emotions this case has generated and ask the public to please allow the judicial process to take its course." Eva Corlew, whose Bengal Lynx cat Clubber went missing in November and was later returned, told KCAL News in March: "I feel a little scared that this person is out there stealing multiple cats, not just mine, and doing god knows what with them." What Happens Next According to The Times, authorities have said Oliveros Acosta's whereabouts are unknown. Oliveros Acosta is facing a maximum sentence of four years and four months if convicted on the felony charges and an additional year if convicted on the misdemeanor charge. Prosecutors said additional evidence will be reviewed to determine whether additional criminal charges can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Santa Ana Police Investigative Specialist Sophia Guzman at 714-245-8416 or SGuzman@ Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
21-05-2025
Southern California man charged for allegedly luring, kidnapping and beating cats to death
A Southern California man accused of stealing a Bengal Lynx cat and beating other felines to death will be arraigned on Wednesday and could face up to four years and four months in jail, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. The suspect, 46-year-old Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, was arrested on April 24 after allegedly "luring cats with cat food in order to kidnap the animals to stomp them and beat them to death," the district attorney's office said in a press release on Tuesday. Oliveros Acosta was also accused of having methamphetamine on him when he was booked into jail, officials said. Acosta has been charged with two counts of felony animal cruelty, one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance and one felony count of theft of a companion animal after stealing a Bengal Lynx cat from a Westminster home in March, officials said. Between November 2024 and April 2025, there were seven reports of dead and injured cats to Santa Ana Animal Control, including "animals suffering from broken backs and bloody faces," prosecutors said. On March 21, a Westminster woman came home to find her Bengal Lynx cat, named Clubber, was missing, the district attorney's office said. Officials looked through video surveillance and found the suspect — later identified as Oliveros Acosta — with "what appeared to be a can of food, luring the cat before grabbing the animal and driving away in a white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck," prosecutors said. Clubber was returned to his owners "after the theft was publicized," however, the suspect was unidentified at the time, prosecutors said. On April 3, a Santa Ana man was leaving his home when he saw his neighbor, Oliveros Acosta, "pick up a cat over his head and slam it to the ground," officials said. Two days later, animal control was called for reports of another cat "who was not moving," with video surveillance revealing Oliveros Acosta picking up the cat out of his truck, dropping it on the ground in order to "stomp on it with his foot," officials said. After his arrest in April, Oliveros Acosta posted a $40,000 bail and was released before police finished their investigation and presented the case to the district attorney's office, officials said. Prosecutors have asked for bail to be increased from the statutory $20,000 bail to $100,000 "given the danger Oliveros Acosta poses to public safety," officials said. The investigation of the case remains ongoing and the district attorney's office said anyone with additional information should contact the Santa Ana and Westminster police departments to determine whether additional charges can be added. It is unclear whether Oliveros Acosta has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Southern California man charged for allegedly luring, kidnapping and beating cats to death
A Southern California man accused of stealing a Bengal Lynx cat and beating other felines to death will be arraigned on Wednesday and could face up to four years and four months in jail, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. The suspect, 46-year-old Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, was arrested on April 24 after allegedly "luring cats with cat food in order to kidnap the animals to stomp them and beat them to death," the district attorney's office said in a press release on Tuesday. Oliveros Acosta was also accused of having methamphetamine on him when he was booked into jail, officials said. Acosta has been charged with two counts of felony animal cruelty, one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance and one felony count of theft of a companion animal after stealing a Bengal Lynx cat from a Westminster home in March, officials said. Between November 2024 and April 2025, there were seven reports of dead and injured cats to Santa Ana Animal Control, including "animals suffering from broken backs and bloody faces," prosecutors said. On March 21, a Westminster woman came home to find her Bengal Lynx cat, named Clubber, was missing, the district attorney's office said. Officials looked through video surveillance and found the suspect — later identified as Oliveros Acosta — with "what appeared to be a can of food, luring the cat before grabbing the animal and driving away in a white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck," prosecutors said. MORE: Animal sanctuary owner, about 100 cats die in fire, officials say Clubber was returned to his owners "after the theft was publicized," however, the suspect was unidentified at the time, prosecutors said. On April 3, a Santa Ana man was leaving his home when he saw his neighbor, Oliveros Acosta, "pick up a cat over his head and slam it to the ground," officials said. Two days later, animal control was called for reports of another cat "who was not moving," with video surveillance revealing Oliveros Acosta picking up the cat out of his truck, dropping it on the ground in order to "stomp on it with his foot," officials said. After his arrest in April, Oliveros Acosta posted a $40,000 bail and was released before police finished their investigation and presented the case to the district attorney's office, officials said. MORE: Florida man shoots neighbor's cow 5 times after it wandered onto his property Prosecutors have asked for bail to be increased from the statutory $20,000 bail to $100,000 "given the danger Oliveros Acosta poses to public safety," officials said. The investigation of the case remains ongoing and the district attorney's office said anyone with additional information should contact the Santa Ana and Westminster police departments to determine whether additional charges can be added. It is unclear whether Oliveros Acosta has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. Southern California man charged for allegedly luring, kidnapping and beating cats to death originally appeared on
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Accused ‘serial cat killer' charged in violent crime spree
A Santa Ana man who authorities said lured cats with food in order to violently beat them to death has been charged with animal cruelty and stealing a family's pet. Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, 46, was charged by the Orange County District Attorney's Office this week on two counts of felony animal cruelty, one felony count of theft of a companion animal, and one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance. He's accused of killing or injuring several cats in the Santa Ana area since November 2024, including an expensive Bengal Lynx cat that was taken from its home in Westminster. The Santa Ana Police Department has documented seven instances of cats being injured or killed in the area West Wilshire Avenue and South Clara Street, including those that suffered broke backs or bloody faces,. In March, a surveillance video was released that showed a man luring the Bengal Lynx from its home using a can of food. The cat, Clubber, was eventually returned to the home after the video was made public, but the suspect's identity remained unknown. Weeks later, a Santa Ana man said he saw his neighbor, Oliveros Acosta, pick up a cat over his head and slam it to the ground. The man's wife confirmed that the cat had been killed, and they called Santa Ana Animal Control to report the incident. Two days later, Animal Control was called for a report of a sick cat that had been dropped from the bed of a white Toyota Tacoma pickup — the same type of vehicle seen in the Westminster incident. The video showed the suspect, later identified as Acosta, stomping on the cat with his foot. Oliveros Acosta was arrested by officers from Santa Ana and the Westminster police department on April 24 and was released after posting a $40,000 bail. His release sparked widespread public outcry, leading to an 'unruly' vigil by concerned residents that was held outside the suspect's home. The Orange County District Attorney's Office said he was released before the police departments completed their investigations and presented the case for consideration. Prosecutors have since asked for his bail to be increased to $100,000 due to the 'danger Oliveros Acosta poses to public safety.' The D.A.'s Office did not state if their request had been granted by the judge assigned to the case. The case remains under investigation by the two local police departments, and the D.A.'s Office says it is continuing to evaluate the evidence to determine if additional charges are warranted. If convicted as charged, he could face a maximum of four years and four months for the animal cruelty-related charges, with an additional year of jail time for the misdemeanor drug charge, which was added after he was found with methamphetamine on his person at the time of the arrest. Oliveros Acosta is due in court in Santa Ana on Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
