ST. LUCIE COUNTY – A Port St. Lucie man was arrested on Aug 6 on an animal cruelty charge following the circulation of a video on social media that appeared to show the abuse of a small dog.
Ricky Lee Schieferstein, 68, of Port St. Lucie is in the St. Lucie County Jail as of Aug. 7 on a $7,500 bond on a charge of cruelty to animals, according to the jail web site.
The investigation began after numerous members of the community shared the video and tagged the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office across its social media platforms, according to the sheriff’s office Facebook posting.
The information was then turned over to the sheriff’s office’s criminal investigations division for investigation.
Det. Cpl. Dawn Dale, through her investigation, developed probable cause and obtained an arrest warrant to charge Schieferstein with animal cruelty, according to the Facebook posting.
In the 16-second video posted on the sheriff’s office Facebook page with a “viewer discretion” warning, a man can be seen walking behind a dog at a concrete pool and yelling “out, out, out … in the grass” several times and kicking the dog in its right hip at least once before the dog and the man went out of range. It is not clear about the source of the video.
“The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the public’s assistance in bringing this incident to our attention. However, we also want to remind residents that the fastest and most effective way to report a crime in progress or suspicious activity is by calling 911,” it was stated in the sheriff’s office Facebook posting.
“While we actively monitor our social media platforms, they are not monitored continuously and should never be relied upon to report emergencies or crimes requiring an immediate law enforcement response.”