Upon searching his home, officers found the bodies of “dozens” of cats, according to Natalie Garcia, the Public Information Officer (PIO).
Oliveros was charged with animal cruelty offences, carrying a potential three-year jail term.
But to the fury of the local community fearing for the safety of their few remaining pets, he was last month released on a $20,000 bail.
In southern California, the main threat to wandering cats is traffic and predatory beasts such as coyotes.
But in the town of Santa Ana, around 48km south of Los Angeles, as many as 30 beloved pets are missing, feared dead.
Sarai Gold, who is heading the campaign to put Acosta Oliveros behind bars, told the Telegraph that locals think the number could be more than 75.
They are terrified that number will rise after the man they claim is behind the killings was released on bail, she said.
At a vigil for the pets on April 26, candles were lit to mark each of the victims, but things soon turned violent.
Surrounding a house, protesters carried signs accusing the suspect of having blood on his hands.
One sign read: “Hoy gatos, manana humanos [today cats, tomorrow humans].”
Dramatic footage captured by a local news channel shows one man clad in black hurling a rock at the home, meanwhile someone with a megaphone shouts: “Your community is watching your every move”, as blue police lights illuminate the scene.
Other neighbours can be seen appearing to try to pull down a fence, while a separate clip, posted online, shows a woman wearing white cat ears wailing in the street over the loss of her beloved pet.
“I miss my cat, I love my cat,” she sobs.
Things came to a head when the homeowner was allegedly pepper-sprayed by one of the angry mob.
“He was arrested and then they let him go. People are out for blood and I could not agree more,” a witness posted on Nextdoor after the night of violence.
Another told Fox11: “The peaceful protesting wasn’t so peaceful. They’re scaring kids here. It’s scaring the whole family.”
“I don’t think it needs to be like this. I think it should have remained a vigil… I knew it’d be a protest, but I didn’t think I’d get violent,” a third local told the network.
However, the property targeted by the angry mob was not, as it had been rumoured, the home of Acosta Oliveros’s brother, where he had been staying, but of someone related to the suspect’s brother-in-law.
The incident prompted local police to issue a stark warning. “While we support the community’s right to peacefully assemble, the Santa Ana Police Department will not tolerate acts of violence, vandalism, or any threats to public safety,” a spokesman said in a statement.
“Any damage to life or property will have consequences, and those engaging in criminal behaviour will be held accountable.”
Tensions continue to run high within the community as rumours abound of the creature’s gruesome deaths.
According to Gold, the cat killer lured some of his victims with catnip-laced food.
She claims the creatures’ bodies were found by investigators in a fire pit and there was “such a stench”.
Other reports paint an increasingly horrific picture. Local news reported one cat was allegedly found hanging from a tree. Another, whose jaw was broken, was dumped in a skip, it was claimed.
There are unconfirmed rumours that some of the cats were skinned.
Some locals believe cats were killed with a stamp to the head, others say they were injected with an unknown substance, according to KTLA Five.
There are claims people saw cats snatched from their neighbour’s driveways, meanwhile, grainy CCTV footage, obtained by NBC News, appears to show a man reaching down to coax a creature from beneath a car into his arms.
“I saw this same man grab [my] neighbour’s cat, inject it with a needle and some sort of substance. I saw him and yelled, hey...to get his attention,” one person wrote on the platform Nextdoor.
“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.”
Jennifer Corales wrote on the site that she had seen the man picking up a cat and driving away with it, following the man in the car.
“We followed him at a distance and called the police. The police just told us to stay where we were until they arrived and not to follow him because we did not know how dangerous this person could be,” she said.
‘We are devastated’
Police have not commented on the state any of the cats were found in.
Amid the horror is a heartbroken community, with owners bereft at the loss of their pets.
Edith Fuentes, who lost her cat, told Fox 11: “We are devastated, just to think about what this man did to her.
“Every time we think about it, we sit down and we cry, because your pets become like a part of your family.”
Jennifer Corrales added: “I’ve had [my cat] since he was a baby. I bottle-fed him...He’s been with me since a few weeks old. I don’t know what he might have done to my cat.”
Anger has been directed at Todd Spitzer, the Republican District Attorney, following Acosta Oliveros’ release.
“That he was released so quickly is a travesty,” said Meredith Kirby, an organiser with OC Community Cats, a local animal welfare group.
“This man has a terrifying history of harming and even killing innocent cats, posing a very personal and real threat to my own feline friends,” Vanessa Rodriguez wrote online.
“Our quiet community has been shattered by the horrifying actions of Mr Oliveros… shocking as it may be, he’s out on the streets while our pets live in fear,” she added.
The Santa Ana police department was contacted for comment.
Acosta Oliveros is set to attend court on May 22.
