Authorities have accused a man from Santa Ana of kidnapping cats and beating them to death. He was also arrested last month but posted bail.
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According to a press release by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, 46, is accused of luring cats with cat food and kidnapping them before stomping on them and beating them to death. Authorities are charging him with felony animal cruelty and felony theft of a companion animal. The press release also accuses Acosta of possessing a controlled substance when officers arrested him.
The Attorney’s Office outlines a harrowing list of events, starting in November 2024. Santa Ana Animal Control reportedly received multiple reports of dead or injured cats. They were found in the area of West Wilshire Avenue and South Clara Street in Santa Ana. Authorities received seven related reports between November 2024 and April 2025. Some of the cats suffered broken backs and bloodied faces.
On March 21, 2025, a woman from Westminster reported her Bengal Lynx, Clubber, missing. Surveillance camera footage reportedly showed someone in a Toyota Tacoma truck luring the cat to the vehicle with food. Clubber returned home when the theft went public, but authorities never identified the truck driver.
The press release details two more separate instances in April. On April 3 at around 4 AM, a neighbor reportedly saw Acosta pick up a cat above his head and “slam it into the ground.” Santa Ana Animal Control took possession of the dead cat. On April 5, more footage of the Tacoma surfaced. This time, the driver was identified as Acosta, and he appeared to take a cat out of his truck bed and stomp on it.
The Alleged Cat Killer Posted Bail
The press release says that police arrested Acosta on April 24. However, he posted his $40,000 bond before authorities finished their investigation. Now, the Attorney’s Office explains that Prosecutors have requested his bond increase from the statutory $20,000 to $100,000 “given the danger Oliveros Acosta poses to public safety.”
The investigation is still ongoing, and the news release says, “Additional evidence will be reviewed to determine whether additional criminal charges can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” Acosta is due to be arranged on May 21.