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A Hillsborough County, Florida, woman faces a felony charge after she was seen on video beating a Siberian Husky with a rubber mallet.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested 24-year-old Elizabeth Jaimes on Monday and charged her with aggravated cruelty to animals with a weapon, a felony.
Elizabeth Jaimes booking photo (Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office)
Sheriff Chad Chronister released video of Jaimes abusing the 9-year-old Siberian Husky named Maya on Tuesday.
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The video shows Maya enduring unimaginable and unwarranted abuse, with Jaimes walking up to the dog, bending down and hitting it with a mallet. In the video, the dog can be heard yelping and crying, but Jaimes continued to hit and pull the dog up by its leash.
Along with the video, Chronister announced a petition to prevent Jaimes from adopting or living with a pet in Hillsborough County.
"We as a community and as a society will never tolerate the abuse and terrorization of a poor innocent animal," Chronister said. "Elizabeth Jaimes will feel the full weight of the criminal justice system in Hillsborough County."
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At the time of the video, Jaimes was living with her boyfriend and his mother, Maya’s owner.
Investigators believe Maya’s abuse began as far back as October 2022, and since then, Maya has experienced several episodes of abuse that led to permanent damage.
The sheriff’s office said Maya has sustained skull fractures, a broken jaw, rib and spine fractures and a broken orbital that resulted in blindness in one eye.
When asked about the abuse, Jaimes allegedly told investigators she hit the dog because she growled at her.
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"Nothing would justify this evil and callous abuse. Maya is a sweet and loving animal who did not deserve the torture she endured," Chronister said. "This is why our investigation is so important. We need to dive deeper and determine how far the abuse goes back. We are dedicated to investigating this case and ensuring that Jaimes will be held accountable for her heinous acts."
Once Jaimes was arrested, Maya was reunited with her owner and is recovering at home. The owner has also filed an injunction against Jaimes, who was released on $7,500 bond.
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