A stepfather captured whipping his stepson during a game of backyard catch will appear in court to face charges of child abuse.
Oscar Lopez of Heber, Calif. used his phone to record his neighbor Anthony Sanchez on June 6 according to the Imperial County Sheriff's Department. That video led to Sanchez' arrest two days later and was posted to YouTube where it got national attention.
Sanchez, 34, resigned from his position as Imperial Irrigation District Director after he was arrested on felony child abuse charges.
The Imperial County District Attorney filed two charges against Sanchez that include one felony count of corporal injury to a child and one felony count of child abuse.
A family member defended Sanchez on NBC's Today Show saying the stepfather was disciplining the boy. Terry Grammer, Sanchez' father-in-law, said the spanking had in fact improved the child's behavior.
Sanchez is scheduled to appear in court July 10.
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