SAN ANTONIO – An accused kitten killer was sentenced Monday to five years of deferred adjudication on two felony charges.
Ryan Berlanga, 31, took the sentence as a part of a plea deal.
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Berlanga was seen on footage strangling a kitten to death on Nov. 9, 2025, at an apartment complex in the 7400 block of Yarrow Boulevard.
On the day after the incident, the department posted several photos on Facebook of Berlanga wearing a red hoodie in an effort to ask for the public’s help to identify him.
Investigators later charged on a separate cruelty to non-livestock animals charge on Oct. 23, 2025, court records show.
With community assistance and media coverage, a San Antonio Police Department spokesperson said investigators identified Berlanga as the suspect.
A warrant was later issued for Berlanga’s arrest, the spokesperson said. On Nov. 18, 2025, SAPD said that Berlanga turned himself in without further incident.
According to an arrest affidavit, a person who called police provided footage that showed Berlanga killing the kitten.
The affidavit states there was also blood at the scene.
Berlanga was charged on two counts cruelty to non-livestock animals, which is considered a third-degree felony. Both counts will be served concurrently.
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