Anthony Sanchez Resigns After Allegedly Beating Stepson (VIDEO)
An official in California has resigned his position over allegations that he beat his stepchild with a belt.
Anthony Sanchez, 34, Imperial Valley's water agency director, left his position after a video filmed from one of his neighbor's windows apparently showed him repeatedly striking his young stepson with a belt during a game of catch.
During the video Sanchez can be seen walking over to the boy and hitting him several times with what was described as a belt. The neighbor who shot the video, Oscar Lopez, witnessed the beating, and can be heard yelling at Sanchez to take it easy on the kid, according to KYMA.
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Lopez can be heard on the video yelling, "That's enough! Me! Yeah, me!"
Sanchez then shouts back, "You have a problem with the way I'm raising my kid?"
Lopez then responds: "Yeah, I have a f------ problem with you beating the s--- out of him because he can't catch the damn ball," Lopez replies.
According to Sanchez's lawyer, Ryan Childers, the facts and circumstances surrounding the case will come out during the course of the investigation.
"Obviously with the circumstances surrounding the criminal investigation it's going to be important that he focus his time and energy on the charges he's facing and beginning to rebuild his life with his family," Childers told the Imperial Valley Press.
Sanchez has no prior arrests for child abuse, according to the Imperial Valley Press. His term if office would have lasted until December 2014.
Sanchez was charged with suspicion of felony child abuse and was released after posting $100,000 bond on Friday, as reported by KYMA.
"Every parent in the state of California has the right by law to discipline their child," Imperial County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Lieutenant Scott Sheppeard said during a news conference. "When you cross the line between what's legal and what's not legal is if the infliction of injury.'
Click on the video below to see Sanchez in the altercation with his child. (WARNING: Graphic content and language present in video.)
