For weeks, a quiet neighborhood in Orange County was gripped by a growing sense of fear and heartbreak.

Family cats were vanishing without a trace. Some never came back. Others were returned, but deeply injured—physically and emotionally.

Whispers turned into warnings on neighborhood apps and social media. The word “cat-napper” started making rounds in local posts.

And then, something even more chilling surfaced. A video. In grainy surveillance footage, a man was caught attempting to rescue—or rather, capture—a cat wedged between two parked cars.

But it wasn’t a rescue. It was bait. The man, now identified by police as 45-year-old Alejandro Acosta Oliveros, was arrested this week for animal cruelty.

According to the Santa Ana Police Department, Oliveros was seen luring and snatching a cat named Clubber on March 21.

Clubber was just 10 months old. A Bengal Lynx. Playful. Beloved. Luckily, Clubber made it back home.

But not all pets were so fortunate. Police say multiple cats were mistreated. Some were found bound. Others, reportedly injected with unknown substances.

One disturbing post on Nextdoor shared the horror:
“My neighbor’s cat was killed by a man who injected it with some sort of substance.”

Another neighbor’s security camera showed a man tying a cat’s legs before fleeing the scene.

Inside Oliveros’ Santa Ana residence, investigators found evidence they say links him to a string of feline attacks.

The Santa Ana Jail is now holding Oliveros on felony animal abuse charges. Locals are breathing a cautious sigh of relief, but wounds remain open.

“These animals are like family,” one resident said.
“To think someone was doing this on purpose—it breaks your heart.”

Animal welfare groups are urging pet owners to remain vigilant, even as the case unfolds. The story is not just about the crime—it’s about the bond between humans and the animals they love.