When Melissa Torres recently witnessed a brutal act of animal abuse, she made sure the abuser was punished.
Melissa saw a man riding his motorcycle through a neighborhood in Mission, Texas. He had his dog on a leash behind him. However, the dog was not walking with its owner. He was brutally dragged down the sidewalk behind him. Melissa was shocked. I made sure to capture this moment as evidence to protect this dog from further abuse.
She also took video of the accident. In the footage, Melissa can be heard yelling at the man and threatening to call the cops. The man shouted, “Call them! That’s my dog!”
Shortly after the video was posted online, Mission Texas police received hundreds of calls from concerned residents, according to CBS News. The man was arrested 15 hours after the video was taken. Mario Cardona, the man in question, has been charged with animal cruelty.
Cardona was charged with two first-degree misdemeanors for failing to properly care for the dog and recklessly moving the dog. A judge set bail at $10,000. Police Lt. Jodi Teitel praised Melissa for acting so quickly and gathering evidence.
