Fresno man jailed after video surfaced of dog beating

A cellphone video of a man in a wheelchair beating his dog at Kern and B streets in Fresno led to an arrest Friday on suspicion of animal cruelty, police said.

The man, identified as Leon Scherf, 44, was recorded repeatedly striking the dog as it was pulling Scherf across the intersection with a leash about 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Thanks to a tip from the public, police were able to identify the suspect and make an arrest on Friday.

According to police, Scherf was belligerent and abusive with officers and initially tried to hide the dog when he was arrested at his home in the 1000 block of Mariposa Street in southwest Fresno.

The dog was taken by the Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to an animal hospital to determine if there was a history of abuse.

Police said that other residents who helped officers locate the animal said that Scherf often beat the dog.

This story was originally published May 22, 2015 at 9:43 PM with the headline "Fresno man jailed after video surfaced of dog beating."