(Jose Manuel Pantoja: Santa Ana Police)
A transient in Santa Ana was charged Tuesday with "binding a runaway Chihuahua and repeatedly kicking the dog," the OC Register reports.
Jose Manuel Pantoja Ledesma, 28, is being held without bail and is due in court Tuesday afternoon for arraignment on a single felony count of cruelty to animals. Pantoja wrapped a bungee cord around the dog’s throat and chest and bound his legs with electrical wires.
A woman taking out the trash at a business about 10:20 p.m. Sunday saw Pantoja kicking the dog and alerted police.
“She yells at him to stop but realizes he’s probably on drugs and shouldn’t do this so she calls us and gives us details,” Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. “When we got there, he’s standing over the dog and we took him into custody.”
The dog was rushed to the vet for treatment and has since been reunited with his owners who say their 13-year-old pet Max got out of their yard when someone left the gate open.
Court records show that Pantoja was on probation for an assault charge in November.