Lady Lake Police officers arrested a Crestview woman on animal cruelty charges after finding a dog inside her overheated SUV.
Around 2:25 p.m. Saturday, law enforcement responded to the Five Below parking lot at Lady Lake Crossing following a report of a dog inside a car with the windows barely cracked. The temperature outdoors topped 92 degrees, and investigators noticed the black puppy panting profusely and showing indications of suffering inside 26-year-old Yeneese Mystic Morejon’s car.
Officers Jeffrey Burns and Michael Tisdell discovered the dog inside a car parked in bright sunshine with no shade. The puppy’s tongue was extended, and she was whimpering and scratching at the windows in an attempt to get out. Officers discovered that the vehicle was not running, and the interior was extremely hot. They suspected the dog had been locked in the parked car for at least 40 minutes.
They were able to unlock the door and take the puppy from the vehicle. They immediately gave the dog water and put her in an air-conditioned patrol car. The puppy immediately drank an entire bottle of water and seemed to recuperate after being removed from the heat.
Morejon claimed she was just inside for “like 30 seconds” and that the store’s “line was long.” She was arrested for animal cruelty and taken to Lake County Jail, where she was freed after paying a $5,000 bond.
“Our officers acted quickly and compassionately to save this puppy from a potentially deadly situation,” Chief Steve Hunt stated. “We appreciate the citizen’s diligence in calling 911, as well as the officers’ attention in responding. Leaving an animal inside a vehicle in Florida heat, even for a short time, can be lethal.”
The Lady Lake Police Department advises citizens that temperatures inside a parked vehicle can reach 110 degrees in minutes, even if the outside temperature is in the low 90s. Pets should never be left inside a car without adequate air conditioning and supervision.
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