Man accused of dragging dog behind his truck in south Phoenix

PHOENIX - A man accused of dragging a dog on a leash with his truck in south Phoenix has been arrested.

According to court documents, a witness saw 43-year-old Jose Popoca dragging the dog on Nov. 12 near Central Avenue and Broadway Road.

"The witness attempted to notify the driver of the dog being dragged two times and each time the defendant [Popoca] sped off," read a portion of the court documents.

Popoca then allegedly parked the truck and left the area on foot.

When an officer arrived at the scene, police say Popoca walked back to the truck and took the leash off the truck.

Popoca was then taken into custody. Popoca claimed he didn't know there was a dog on a leash attached to the truck "and said he did not see anything and was not notified of anything."

The dog was able to escape from the leash while being dragged and is now being cared for by the Arizona Humane Society.

Popoca was booked into jail and is accused of animal cruelty.