Reno man charged in gruesome kitten killing after San Francisco rooftop arrest

A Reno man accused of carrying out a horrific attack on a kitten inside a San Francisco bank ATM vestibule has been charged with animal cruelty, prosecutors announced Friday.

William Ohlson, 33, faces charges of killing, maiming or abusing an animal, overdriving, overworking or overloading an animal, and resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.

Ohlson is set to appear in court Monday at 1:30 p.m. at the Hall of Justice.

Authorities allege Ohlson entered a bank ATM vestibule on the 1800 block of Market Street around 2 a.m. on July 1 while carrying a small kitten and then violently tortured the animal to death before leaving the scene with the kitten.

The alleged killing sparked an investigation by San Francisco Animal Care and Control and the San Francisco Police Department, which later tracked Ohlson to a hotel on the 100 block of Fell Street.

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When officers served a search warrant on July 14, police said a Real Time Investigations Center Drone as First Responder operator spotted Ohlson fleeing from his room onto the roof of an adjacent building.

The suspect was eventually taken into custody after a rooftop standoff that brought in the San Francisco Fire Department, whose crews used a ladder truck to assist officers in safely reaching the roof.

Ohlson was booked into San Francisco County Jail No. 1 on animal abuse and resisting arrest charges. The investigation remains active.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the San Francisco Police Department Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or text TIP411 with “SFPD” at the beginning of the message. Anonymous tips are accepted.