STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – A Brighton Heights man has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty for allegedly hitting a dog “multiple times” earlier this month, said a police spokeswoman.

Ray Guerriero, 46, was busted Tuesday morning and charged in connection with an incident on Sept. 6, the spokeswoman said.

Guerriero was issued a desk appearance ticket directing him to appear in Criminal Court at a future date, said the spokeswoman.

Guerriero’s arrest stemmed from an investigation launched after SILive.com posted a video on Sept. 6 purportedly showing a man hitting a dog on Forest Avenue in Brighton Heights, said a law enforcement source with knowledge of the case.

An online user shared the video on Reddit around 11 a.m., sparking outrage on social media.

The eight-second video captured a man walking his dog on Forest Avenue.

Shortly after turning onto Brighton Avenue, the man stops walking and slightly pulls the dog with the leash.

He then raises his hand high and appears to smack the canine at least three times, the video shows.

The man who shot the video said the dog “looked like he was constantly bracing himself to be hit.”

“The hits were very loud,” said the man, who requested anonymity. “You could hear them from far away.”

He said he began recording the man after he allegedly hit the dog off-camera.

People who watched the video on Reddit expressed outrage.

“Send this to our local politicians and police," said one commenter. “This is not ok and I’m sure he’ll be found very quickly. Post it all over social media.”

“Why do people own dogs if they’re going to treat them like this???????" another person wrote.

A man who answered the phone Wednesday at a number listed to Guerriero said the incident didn’t occur and denied being Guerriero. He then hung up.