KTLA News
8:00 a.m. PDT, June 9, 2012

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KTLA) — An Imperial Valley water agency director has been arrested after he was allegedly caught on video beating his stepson over a game of catch.

The video shows a man playing a game of catch with his young stepson. The boy drops the ball, and that’s when the man, identified by authorities as Anthony Sanchez, begins whipping him with a belt.

Neighbor Oscar Lopez shot the video Wednesday morning from inside his home. After a minute, Lopez can be heard on the tape telling Sanchez to stop.

“I’m a [expletive] father too,” Lopez says.

Lopez posted the video on Facebook and YouTube before turning it in to authorities on Thursday.

Sanchez, 34, was elected to the Board of Directors for the Imperial Irrigation District in 2006. His district includes the city of Calexico, the community of Heber and the majority of the city of Holtville.

He was arrested Friday on suspicion of felony child abuse and is being held on $100,000 bail.

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-anthony-sanchez-stepson-beating,0,5873485.story