A 45-year-old man from Santa Ana has been arrested for allegedly killing more than a dozen neighborhood cats. Alejandro Oliveros Acosta was taken into custody on Wednesday after police received multiple reports of animal abuse and missing cats in the area.
Authorities believe Acosta lured the cats to his property, where he harmed them. The Santa Ana Police Department, along with the Westminster police and the Animal Control Division, executed a search warrant at his home on West Wilshire Avenue, leading to his arrest. Acosta has been booked on felony charges related to animal cruelty.
Yessenia Aspeitia, a media relations coordinator for the Santa Ana Police, mentioned that while they cannot confirm the exact number of cats harmed, it is certainly over a dozen. Several victims and witnesses identified Acosta as the man who took their cats.
In recent weeks, local cat owners expressed their concerns on social media, sharing photos of their missing pets and videos showing a man enticing cats away from their homes. Among those affected was Eva Corlew, who reported her 10-month-old Bengal Lynx cat, Clubber, was stolen in March but later reunited with her.
Investigators are currently piecing together a timeline of the incidents and are looking through social media accounts for more reports of stolen or missing cats. Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to reach out to the Santa Ana police.