Dozens Of Dead Animals Found In Home Of Man Suspected Of Stealing Neighbors' Pets

SANTA ANA, CA — A Santa Ana man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of killing "dozens" of cats in the community and stealing an expensive Bengal Lynx cat from Westminster, police said.

Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, 45, was booked on suspicion of felony animal cruelty Wednesday, the Santa Ana Police Department reported.

Acosta was arrested after investigators received multiple calls over the past several weeks about cats being stolen and harmed. Several residents pointed to Acosta as a suspect, according to Officer Natalie Garcia of the Santa Ana Police Department.

Investigators searched Acosta's home in the 2300 block of West Wilshire Avenue, where they found evidence of "dozens" of dead cats, Garcia said. The number of pets killed was too numerous to estimate more specifically, she said.

The man is also suspected of abducting a Bengal Lynx cat, named Clubber, from the cat's home in Westminster on March 19, Garcia said.

RELATED: Stolen Bengal Lynx 'Clubber' Found At OC Home; Suspect At Large

According to police, the owner saw the suspect lure Clubber — possibly with food — before he snatched the feline and fled in a white pickup truck.

Garcia told Patch, police are investigating all claims about Acosta, including reports from neighbors who said he lured pets with food and used a syringe to inject them with a substance.

No further information was immediately available.