Man Arrested on Suspicion of DUI While Riding a Horse After Animal Runs Off & Tramples Young Boy
A California man was arrested after he lost control of his horse during a fair parade and the animal trampled an 8-year-old boy.
Armando Martinez Ruiz was performing alongside other horseback riders during a dancing horse show at the Colusa County Fair in Northern California last Friday.
The horse bucked and then threw Martinez Ruiz off, dragging him through the street as he desperately held onto its reins, which was captured in a terrifying video shared by Fox 40.
He was unable to regain control of the spooked horse and lost his grip on the reins. The animal then ran full speed into a crowd, who were sitting on the side of the road, trampling the boy.
Martinez Ruiz was arrested and booked by the Colusa Police Department for felony DUI last Friday. Martinez Ruiz was “intoxicated,” authorities said in a statement on Facebook.
Colusa Police Sgt. Elden Tamez told Fox 40 this was his “first time charging somebody for this.”
“The problem was him, not the horse, let me tell you something,” he continued.
“We’re just thankful it wasn’t bigger than it was and I’m sure we’re probably gonna take a look at including horses in our future parades,” Tamez said.
The organizer of the performance, Fausto Ruelas, told the outlet riders could not “be drunk on a horse, ever,” adding alertness is essential in order to react to a horse’s movements.
“To end this tradition this way is the wrong way,” he added.
The boy received “injuries to his legs” and was transported to a nearby hospital, authorities wrote. The horse was eventually found by police and the boy is recovering.
“In California, the same laws apply when riding horses as driving cars,” authorities said in their Facebook post.
PEOPLE have been unable to locate a lawyer for Martinez Ruiz.
