Police searching for female suspect caught on video punching a woman and stealing her puppy

Authorities in Bell Gardens, California, are searching for a female suspect who was seen on surveillance video punching another woman in the face and then running away after taking her puppy, police said.

At about 12:30 p.m. local time on Jan. 30, the female suspect grabbed the victim's 1-month-old Maltipoo puppy on the sidewalk, police said. When the dog's owner tried to take the dog back, the suspect violently assaulted and pepper sprayed her in the face, police said in a news release.

A local business owner captured the robbery on a surveillance camera and contacted the police, Bell Gardens police said.

Authorities shared the video of the incident on Facebook and Twitter along with a photo of the suspect.

The video shows the suspect punching the woman in the face as she tries to take the dog back, and then pushing the woman to the ground after a struggle. A third person is also seen strolling by the altercation without stopping while looking at her phone.

A second video shows the suspect running away down the sidewalk with the puppy.

The woman whose dog was taken suffered "substantial injuries" and required medical treatment, police said.

Authorities described the suspect as a female about 18 to 25 years old with a medium build and auburn hair who was wearing a black T-shirt with red-and-black pajama pants.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com