Pet Owner Arrested After Video Of Pit Bull Biting New York Subway Rider's Foot Goes Viral

New York police arrested a pet owner whose dog bit a subway passenger during an altercation after video of the incident went viral.

Ruben Roncallo, 53, was charged Thursday with misdemeanor reckless endangerment and assault after police caught wind of the footage of the man's pit bull biting the woman.

Police said that the man got into an altercation with the woman on April 20 inside a subway train around 3 p.m. as it approached the Wall Street station in Manhattan.

The suspect punched the woman in the shoulder before his dog attacked her, CBS News reported. After a few moments, the dog released its grip on the victim.

"She was the one who kicked the dog, that's why I did it," the suspect told police during his arraignment on Thursday, according to the New York Daily News. "She punched me first."

Video shows the moment when the animal had grabbed hold of the woman’s sneaker. The footage was posted on Facebook and has garnered over 1.4 million views and 21,000 shares as of Friday.

The scene reportedly escalated when the dog’s owner positioned the pet on the seat next to the woman who then complained, witness Tahysi Kyng, who recorded the video told CBS. He added that the two were fighting while the dog remained between them.

"She’s like, ‘The dog doesn’t belong on the seat.’ He’s like, ‘I’m not moving my dog,’" Kyng said.

Roncallo reportedly had his pit bull on a leash at the time, which is against MTA rules. Dogs are allowed onto the subway, however, they must remain in a carrying case. Police can issue a summons to anyone bringing unauthorized animals onto the train.

MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said in a statement Wednesday that nonservice animals carried onto any train must be in a container. He also asked subway riders to notify police of any animal not properly stowed away.

"There’s no reason in the world why that dog was allowed on board, down to the platform, and on the train, let alone harassing one of my passengers," he told the New York Post. "Our system is open to everyone. It is not open to people with dogs that aren’t service animals or enclosed."