Accused 'serial cat killer' charged in Westminster Bengal Lynx cat theft, DA's office says

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- A Santa Ana man accused of luring cats with cat food in order to kidnap and kill them has been charged in another cat case, according to the district attorney's office.

New details have been revealed in the arrest of a Santa Ana man accused of killing several cats.

Alejandro Acosta Oliveros, 45, is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday. He's facing two counts of felony animal cruelty and one felony count of theft of a companion animal for allegedly stealing an expensive Bengal Lynx cat from a Westminster home.

Oliveros Acosta is also accused of having methamphetamine in his possession when he was booked into jail.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Alleged 'serial cat killer' arrested in Santa Ana

The Orange County District Attorney's Office says Oliveros Acosta lured the pet with cat food in order to steal it.

If convicted on the animal cruelty charges, he faces a maximum of four years and four months in prison. He could also face an additional year in custody if convicted on a possession of a controlled substance charge.

Prosecutors asked that his bail be increased from $20,000 to $100,000 -- claiming Oliveros Acosta is a danger to public safety.

The Santa Ana Police Department's investigation began when it first received reports of injured and dead cats near the area of W. Wilshire Avenue and S. Clara Street in November 2024.

Between November and April, the department received seven reports of dead and injured cats.

In March of this year, a Westminster woman came home to find her Bengal Lynx cat, Clubber, missing. Surveillance video showed a man, who police are identifying as Oliveros Acosta, luring Clubber before grabbing the cat and driving away in a white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, according to the DA's office. Clubber was returned to his owner after the theft was publicized, but the suspect remained unidentified.

That was until April 3, when a man leaving his home saw his neighbor, identified as Oliveros Acosta, pick up a cat and slam it to the ground, killing the animal, the DA's office said. Santa Ana Animal Control was called again two days later for a report of a sick cat who was not moving. Police said surveillance video showed a white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and a man picking a cat up out of the truck's bed and beating it. Again, the man was identified as Oliveros Acosta.