MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A pet groomer who went viral after police said he was caught on camera kicking a small dog in his care last month made a swift getaway to avoid Local 10 News after bonding out of jail Thursday morning.
Richel Yumar Gonzalez, 33, sprinted away from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center around 10:30 a.m., immediately after paying a $500 bond.
Local 10 News was at the scene when Gonzalez was released.
It appeared he had planned his exit so well that someone was waiting for him at an auto parts store across the street. Gonzalez ran directly to the car, jumped in, and the pair quickly drove off.
The dramatic exit followed Gonzalez’s arrest for kicking a small dog, an incident captured on a doorbell camera at a northeast Miami-Dade apartment complex earlier this month, according to police.
Police said Gonzalez was caught on camera kicking the little white dog twice. At the time, he was wearing a shirt for “Deluxe Mobile Grooming Company” based in Hialeah.
Authorities said the incident occurred about a week ago, prompting a swift investigation by Miami-Dade police. Gonzalez later turned himself in to authorities and admitted to the crime, according to investigators.
The owner of Deluxe Mobile Grooming Company told Local 10 that Gonzalez was immediately fired after the incident. The owner condemned Gonzalez’s actions, stating that such behavior would never be tolerated and that he must face the consequences.
As for the small dog, named Coco, the owner reports that she has shown some behavioral changes since the incident. However, Coco was taken to the vet shortly afterward and is expected to be OK.