San Francisco police arrested William Ohlson, 33, on Wednesday after a pursuit that led officers to the rooftop of a hotel in the city's Tenderloin District. Ohlson is accused of torturing a kitten to death inside a bank ATM vestibule on July 1.
Officers with the San Francisco Police Department were alerted to the animal abuse case on July 2, when they became aware of an ongoing investigation by San Francisco Animal Care and Control. According to SFPD spokeswoman Allison Maxie, investigators determined that on July 1, a man entered a bank ATM vestibule on the 1800 block of Market Street around 2 a.m. carrying a small kitten. The suspect then allegedly proceeded to violently torture the animal to death.
Following the incident, the suspect fled the scene with the deceased animal. Over the subsequent days, investigators gathered evidence that identified Ohlson, a resident of Reno, Nevada, as the perpetrator.
SFPD officers patrolling the Tenderloin District on Wednesday tracked Ohlson to a hotel on the 100 block of Fell Street, near the Civic Center. As officers prepared to serve a search warrant at the hotel, a drone operator alerted them that Ohlson had fled onto the roof.
Officers engaged Ohlson in a standoff on the rooftop, urging him to surrender. Video footage from the scene shows officers attempting to coax him down. A ladder from a San Francisco Fire Department engine was extended to the roof, and officers ascended to apprehend Ohlson. He was taken into custody without injury, placed in handcuffs, and booked into San Francisco County Jail No. 1.
Ohlson faces charges including animal abuse and resisting arrest. If convicted, he could face fines of up to $25,000 and state prison time. He was released from jail on Thursday and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. The case remains under investigation.