
(KNX 1070) -- A video showing a woman who appeared to be dragging a dog behind an electric scooter last month, went viral on social media and lead to a police investigation.
Charges were filed on Friday, February 15 against Elaine Rosa by the District Attorney's Office of animal abuse and neglect charges, according to television station KERO in Bakersfield. Rosa faces 3 years jail time and a $20,000 fine.
A viewer of television station 23ABC reached out shared video of the incident causing outrage in the Bakersfield community.
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: VIDEO HERE.
Witness to the incident, Brandon Sanders told 23ABC he was out biking with his girlfriend when he saw the woman whiz past them, dragging behind her what the two thought was a stuffed animal. Sanders says he yelled at the woman to stop, but she appeared to be wearing headphones and unable to hear them.
As he got closer he confronted the woman and realized it was a dog. "S**t happens, just like it does with kids," Sanders wrote in a post he shared on Facebook. "We told her no you don't drag your kids behind a scooter at 15 miles-per-hour," Sanders told the Bakersfield station.
Sanders was able to snap a photo of the dog's bloody paws.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Rosa was a contracted psychologist at Kern Valley State Prison. Her contract was terminated on Jan. 7, 2019.
James Dowell was another witness to the incident and he managed to record video of the woman on the scooter.
The Bakersfield Police confirmed that the department is investigating the incident, and released the following statement:
“We find the video to be deeply disturbing and are appreciative of the community for bringing it to our attention. This type of rider behavior is wrong and prohibited by Bird. As soon as we were made aware of the video, we began our own investigation of the incident and have suspended the account for the individual involved in the incident."
No arrests have been made in the case.
Sanders posted an update on the dog on his Facebook page, reporting that animal services picked up the dog and (she) was medically treated and expected to make a full recovery.