The Orange County DA's office says 46-year-old Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, accused of killing dozens of cats in Santa Ana, skipped out on his $40,000 bail and was a no-show at his arraignment Wednesday.
Oliveros Acosta is charged with two felony counts of animal abuse, one felony for kidnapping a pet and a misdemeanor for possessing meth.
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About 2 dozen people showed up at the courthouse in Santa Ana for the arraignment, but Acosta was not one of them.
Acosta is accused of luring random cats with food, grabbing them, and killing or attempting to kill them. He was caught in the act on camera, with at least two witnesses coming forward.
Santa Ana police have received seven reports of dead or injured cats since November.
"This is obviously something we're very concerned about," Kimberly Edds with the Orange County DA's office told KNX News' Emily Valdez, calling Acosta's cruelty toward the animals concerning for public safety.
"There's a definite correlation between individuals who are willing to engage in violence against animals, and then that escalates into violence against human beings," Edds said. "We want to make sure that not only are any animals protected from harm, but also if there's any chance of any human beings in this escalating into something that is even more of a danger to the public."
Anyone who knows his whereabouts or has other evidence of animal cruelty is urged to call the Santa Ana Police Department.
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