TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, Fla. — A 24-year-old woman was arrested after she was caught on a hidden camera repeatedly striking a pet dog on the head and torso with a rubber mallet, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office explained in a news release.
Elizabeth Jaimes, 24, is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals with a weapon, jail records show.
The investigation began Monday, May 1, when the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office received a call reporting an animal cruelty incident at a home on Halifax Drive in Town 'N' Country.
Once deputies arrived at the residence, they were given surveillance video showing Jaimes holding a 9-year-old Siberian Husky named Maya with a leash and repeatedly hitting the dog on the head and torso with a rubber mallet, the sheriff's office said.
The dog was taken to the Veterinary Emergency Group where it was confirmed that Maya had several blunt-force head and back injuries. This includes spinal injuries, fractured ribs, a broken jaw, and a broken orbital socket, which caused the dog to be permanently blinded in one eye, according to Sheriff Chad Chronister.
"Ms. Jaimes, you're gonna learn at the ripe age of [24] that we as a community, that we as a society, will never, ever tolerate anyone taking advantage or terrorizing or injuring a poor, innocent animal," Chronister said at a news conference on Thursday. "You will feel the full weight of the criminal justice system in Hillsborough County."
Jaimes lived in the home with her boyfriend and his mother who was Maya's owner.
The boyfriend's mother noticed her pet had injuries around August 2022, when Jaimes moved in. She later installed a hidden camera in the home to see how her dog kept getting injured, at the request of her vet. The video that turned up showed "the disturbing abuse occurring at the hands of Jaimes," the sheriff's office said.
Jaimes would later admit to authorities she hit the dog because she had growled at her. The dog was reunited with her owner and is recovering at home.
Chronister said on Thursday that the sheriff's office has filed a motion for enjoinment with the state attorney's office to ensure Jaimes is never able to adopt a pet or be around animals in Hillsborough County or the entire state of Florida.
"My office, as I said, stands with victims, including sweet Maya, and we will not tolerate any abuse to any of the vulnerable members of our population," State Attorney Suzy Lopez said at the news conference.
Jaimes was released from jail on Tuesday, May 3, after posting a $7,500 bond.
The sheriff's office said it is now doing a "deeper dive" into this investigation to find out if Jaimes has any other history of animal abuse.