Adrian
In a shocking turn of events, a vigil held in Santa Ana, California, to honor felines allegedly slain by an accused serial cat killer descended into chaos when attendees mistakenly targeted the wrong home. The incident occurred one week after Santa Ana Police arrested ALEJANDRO OLIVEROS ACOSTA, a 45-year-old man accused of murdering dozens of cats in the city. Authorities allege that Acosta confessed to injecting cats with a deadly substance and even hanging one from a tree.
During Sunday night’s vigil, a mob surrounded a house across the street from Acosta‘s residence, mistakenly believing it belonged to his brother. According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, the aggressive crowd demanded the resident come out, broke windows, and even pepper-sprayed the homeowner as children watched in terror. The victim, who chose to remain anonymous, clarified that he was not Acosta‘s brother but was related through marriage. He claimed to have no recent contact with the accused.
Santa Ana Police took over an hour to respond to the scene, FOX 11 reported. By then, the crowd had escalated its actions, chanting accusations of collaboration with the alleged cat killer despite police declaring the assembly unlawful. In a statement posted on X, the Santa Ana Police Department condemned the violence: “While we support the community’s right to peacefully assemble, we will not tolerate acts of violence, vandalism, or threats to public safety. Those engaging in criminal behavior will be held accountable.”
The targeted homeowner expressed his distress to FOX 11, stating, “The peaceful protesting wasn’t so peaceful. They’re scaring kids here. Breaking our fences, pepper-spraying us for no reason. If you did what you did, I didn’t know anything about it. When we found out, we were shocked.”
Police confirmed that over several weeks, they received numerous reports of cats being lured to Acosta‘s property and subsequently harmed or killed. Detectives arrested Acosta last Wednesday, and he was charged with felony animal cruelty before being released on bail. Authorities emphasized that bail decisions are governed by California law, which protects the right to release under the Eighth Amendment.
Neighbors suspect their missing cats may also be victims of Acosta and plan to file reports with the police. The case has ignited widespread outrage, prompting calls for stricter animal cruelty laws and accountability for violent vigilantism.
For more information, visit [FOX News](https://www.foxnews.com) and [Santa Ana Police Department’s statement on X](https://twitter.com/SantaAnaPD).
SOURCES:
FOX 11 Los Angeles: [https://www.foxla.com](https://www.foxla.com)
Santa Ana Police Department: [https://www.santa-ana.org/pd](https://www.santa-ana.org/pd)
Fox News Digital: [https://www.foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com)
