Warrant issued for alleged serial cat killer in Santa Ana after court no-show
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Suspected cat killer arrested in Orange County
A day after FOX 11 spoke with residents in Santa Ana about their cats disappearing, police arrested a man they say lured neighborhood cats to his house and harmed or killed them.
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Santa Ana man charged with felony animal cruelty after he failed to show up in court on Wednesday.
What we know:
Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, 46, is accused of luring neighborhood cats to his property where he harmed or killed them between Nov. 2024 and Apr. 2025 in Santa Ana and Westminster, according to police.
"I saw this same man grab her neighbor's cat, inject it with a needle and some sort of substance. And she saw him and she yelled, hey at him to get his attention. He got up and ran, jumped in his truck and left. And from what we know that cat died, and the owner went and put in a police report," a resident told FOX 11's Hailey Winslow on April 20.
FOX 11 visited the man's Santa Ana house and asked him if he knew anything about the cats, but he denied any wrongdoing and ran behind his gate. His neighbors, afraid to go on camera, say they've seen it first-hand.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: OC residents say Santa Ana man is intentionally killing their cats
"Our neighbor next door was the one that saw him kill a kitten. She is worried. She says that she's found cans of food up in front of her house," another resident said.
"I've had him since he was a baby. I bottle-fed him. He's seven years old. So he's with me all the time. He's been with me since a few weeks old. I don't know what he might've done to my cat," said Santa Ana resident Jennifer Corrales.
"We are devastated, you know, just to think about what this man did to her. You know, every time we think about it, we sit down and we cry, you know, because your pets become like a part of your family," added Edith Fuentes.
One resident reported finding their cat hanging from a tree.
SUGGESTED COVERAGE: Man arrested for allegedly killing multiple cats in Santa Ana neighborhood
Detectives from Santa Ana Police and Westminster Police served a search warrant at this house where they found evidence related to the crimes.
Days later, Acosta was arrested for felony animal cruelty but was later released after posting bail.
What we don't know:
Acosta's whereabouts are unknown.
Neighbors Rally Together:
A week after Acosta's arrest, a vigil held in Santa Ana for the murdered cats turned violent when activists targeted a home they believed was connected to Acosta.
Even though police confirmed that Oliveros was not in the neighborhood, tensions escalated, leading to property damage and fears among residents.
SUGGESTED: Vigil turns violent outside Santa Ana home believed to be connected to alleged cat serial killer
Activists were seen breaking windows and pushing their way onto the man's property. The crowd was eventually dispersed by police.
One activist stated, "They call our pets property. They aren’t; they can’t defend themselves."
What's next:
Acosta faces a maximum sentence of four years and four months in prison if convicted of two counts of felony animal cruelty and one felony count of theft of a companion animal. He also faces a misdemeanor charge for methamphetamine possession.
If you see him, call police.
The Source: Information for this story is from the Santa Ana and Westminster police department and previous FOX 11 reports.