Hayward man dumps neighbor’s cat in wilderness for eating his livestock

SAN LEANDRO, Calif. - A Hayward man is facing animal cruelty charges after authorities say he stole his neighbor’s cat and released it in a remote area because it had been eating his rabbits and chickens. The cat was later found dead.

Charges filed

What we know:

Antonio Preciado, 41, has been charged with animal cruelty and petty theft in connection with the case, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.

Cat reported missing

The backstory:

The victim reported to deputies on Jan. 31 that his cat, Silo, had been missing since Jan. 17, after the animal wandered onto Preciado’s property. The two men are neighbors.

In a prior incident in December, Silo returned home with a metal BB pellet lodged in his leg, which had to be removed by a veterinarian, according to court documents.

GPS tracking evidence

Dig deeper:

After that incident, the owner placed a GPS tracking collar on Silo.

On the day the cat went missing, GPS data showed Silo remained on Preciado’s property for several hours before the collar began moving at speeds consistent with vehicle travel, authorities said. The signal eventually stopped near Eden Canyon Road and Hollis Canyon Road in Castro Valley, where the owner later found the detached tracker discarded along the roadside.

Surveillance video and Flock camera data captured Preciado’s white Chevrolet Avalanche leaving his home at the same time and traveling along the same route as the collar’s movement. Cellular data also placed him along that route, authorities said.

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Admission to investigators

What they're saying:

The victim later recorded a consensual conversation with Preciado, in which he admitted seeing Silo on his property and said he used BB guns to shoot coyotes, according to court records.

Last Thursday, authorities executed a search warrant at Preciado’s property and found multiple BB rifles and metal pellets similar to the one previously removed from Silo’s leg. Detectives also found animals living in deplorable conditions on the property.

Preciado was arrested and later told investigators he trapped Silo because the cat had eaten his rabbits and chickens. He admitted placing the cat in his vehicle, driving to the Eden Canyon Road area and releasing it. He also said he left the GPS collar at that location.

Cat found dead

Silo was found dead about two weeks later in the same area where the tracker had been discarded.

Authorities said the cat may have survived only a short time in the environment after being left to "fend for himself in an unknown, wild environment with many potential stressors and dangers," including predators, hazardous conditions and limited access to food and water.

Officials have not said how Silo died.