Tomasa Panjojleon, San Francisco, California woman captured on video creeping up behind horse and grabbing its tail and spooking animal, causing 5 year old boy riding it to fall and break his leg. Single mom, Meri Fuerte is left with mounting medical bills.
A woman seen smirking on video was captured running up behind a horse and grabbing it by the tail and spooking the animal, causing a 5 year old California boy riding the animal to fall and break his leg.
The woman, later identified as Tomasa Panjojleon, 29, of San Francisco, was observed fleeing the area before police arrived following the February 23 episode.
The wanted woman was arrested a week later, Saturday, March 1 and charged with felony child endangerment. She was booked into San Mateo County Main Jail in Redwood City. She was released hours later after posting bail, People Mag reported.
Tomasa Panjojleon, 29, out on bail after being arrested for child endangering for sneaking up behind horse & pulling its tail, causing boy on horse to be thrown off during riding lesson, per @DalyCityPD pic.twitter.com/SrVBlLrrec
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) March 3, 2025
Arrested woman captured smirking in video after pulling on horse’s tail sending 5 year old flying
On the day of the incident, the boy’s mother, Meri Fuerte said her five-year-old son was bucked from the horse the child was riding along a trail in Daly City, just south of San Francisco at Thorton Beach Recreation Area.
The single mom said she and her son were on an outing at the Ocean View Stables when the woman, unknown to the family, crept up behind the horse and pulled at its tail startling the animal according to KTVU.
Video showed Fuerte’s son riding the animal with the help of an aide as they passed Panjojleon and a man standing along the trail.
Upon the mom and horse riding son passing the man and woman, Fuerte alleges Panjojleon inexplicably creeping behind the horse and pulling its tail, causing her five year old son to be flung off the steed.
Video captured the ‘stranger’ smirking as the horse began to buck and the boy falling to the ground with a heavy thud.
Fuerte told the local news station the pair of strangers laughed about what happened, only to walk away without being stopped.
The act of cruelty led to Fuerte’s son suffering a fractured leg and a severe hematoma. Fuerte claims having been left with stacked medical bills.
But it gets worse.
Single mom left on the hook after 5 year old son breaks leg riding horse
Ocean View Stables filed a report with police, with Fuerte allegedly never telling the horse stable the boy was hurt, KUTV reported.
‘They denied all medical intervention, and said the child is okay,’ Barn Manager Caroline Reed told the outlet.
Adding, ‘So in that situation we ask ‘Do you want to get back on’ that’s always the cowboy way of doing it, you wanna get back on.
‘They said yes, so the child got back on.
‘From the time that it happened until the family ended up fully leaving was about an hour, and during that hour the entire hour that child was running around our property.
‘We have the footage of that, him playing with his sister. There was no limp in these videos.’
Video showed the boy walking with his sister after the incident. The mom claims it wasn’t later that day before her son exhibited any signs of being injured. Presumably after endorphins and adrenaline from the fall which had kicked in after the fall wearing out.
Along with mounting medical bills, Fuerte has had to take time off work to make sure her son stays off his leg so he can heal.
Not immediately clear is what led to Panjojleon pulling on the horse’s tail, presumably with the understanding that it would spook the animal and cause the boy to fall and be hurt.
