2 suspects arrested in Pittsburg dog-kicking incident that went viral
Pittsburg police on Thursday announced they have arrested two women allegedly involved in an incident captured on video where one of the women kicked a small dog.
In a Facebook post Thursday evening, police said officers "successfully identified both suspects in Oakland."
"We want to assure everyone that Gigi is safe at home this evening, while the two suspects are currently in County Jail," the post added.
Police had said officers recently responded to a neighborhood dispute that resulted in a small dog, Gigi, being kicked.
The incident happened last week during a confrontation between a Pittsburg homeowner and the two women. In the video posted of the incident that shows the animal abuse, one of the women is seen kicking the dog hard enough that the animal is sent airborne. The post was shared over 700 times on Facebook and had over 400 comments as of Thursday.
The owner of the dog has raised over $18,000 with a GoFundMe campaign to cover the dog's vet bills for treatment of her injuries as of Thursday afternoon.
Police in Pittsburg initially posted on social media about the incident on Monday, acknowledging that they were aware of the confrontation and the video as well as saying officers were "conducting an investigation."
Earlier Thursday, the Pittsburg Police Department announced they were actively searching for the two suspects "wanted in connection with a disturbing incident involving animal cruelty and a firearm."
The post said detectives "worked diligently to identify those involved" and confirmed that arrest warrants on multiple felony charges were issued for the two women identified as Lagashia Williams and Graciela Amar.
Albert Lopes is Gigi's owner and the homeowner who made the social media post that went viral. While he couldn't talk about the incident, he did provide an update on his dog's recovery.
He said Gigi is improving every day after suffering injuries in the unprovoked attack. She can take a few steps at a time, but mostly spends her days cuddling with Lopes.
"She's going to get every bit of living and everything that she needs that I can possibly give her," he said.
The incident shocked the townhome community in Pittsburg where it happened.
"We've been here for many years," said area resident Wendy Mundo. "I think the only complaint is people not picking up dog poop. But everything else, as you can tell, very family oriented. No issues at all."
Mundo said she hoped the arrests would lead to justice for Gigi.
"Even if there was more to this story, there was no reason to kick a dog," she explained. "People trying to justify her actions, there was no reason for her to get on the property."
Andrea Nakano contributed to this story.
