A man is in trouble with the law after throwing his mixed breed Chihuahua-terrier out of his pickup truck window as he drove down a street because he no longer wanted the dog.

A keen-eyed young woman made a citizen’s arrest after seeing a man dump the small dog out of his pickup truck Tuesday morning on Sun West Place north of the Manteca Civic Center.

The man - who was later detained and cited by police - told officers that he threw the dog out of his pickup truck’s window because he didn’t want it any more.

The 21-year-old was riding with her dad when she said they witnessed the small Chihuahua discarded from a cardboard box that was hung out the driver’s side window of a pickup. The dog landed in the middle of the street.

Manteca Police officer Armen Avakian said the woman followed the 67-year-old driver in his F-150 Ford pickup truck to the Manteca DMV office three blocks away where he pulled into the parking lot.  The woman flagged down Avakian and said she wanted to make a citizen’s arrest for animal cruelty.

Avakian detained the man in handcuffs before transporting him to the Manteca Police Department to be booked.  The officer said Jose Navarro Guadalupe Mendez was given a citation for the alleged misdemeanor and released.

The officer said he called in a Spanish speaking officer when the driver said he didn’t speak English. Avakian quoted Mendez as saying it was his dog and he just didn’t want it anymore.

Animal Control Officer Les Rowe said the dog appeared uninjured and would be kept at the animal shelter until the situation could be unraveled and they could determine whether the dog actually belonged to Mendez.  If so they could just have the man sign off on his ownership and put the small dog up for adoption.