Pit bull dies after being left in hot car for 20 hours in Fla., owner arrested
A Florida woman has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty after knowingly leaving her pit bull inside a hot car for over 20 hours — causing the dog to die.
Sasha Koval, 27, was arrested Friday after she allegedly left her pit bull inside her truck overnight as temperatures reached the 90s on June 18, according to NBC 15 News.
The dog remained abandoned inside her car for several hours as Koval went to work, and returned home after her shift, police in Hollywood, Florida said.
Temperatures in Hollywood reached a high of 91 degrees on June 18, according to AccuWeather.
By the next afternoon — about 20 hours after she first left the dog in the steamy car — Koval found that her pet had died.
Police questioned Koval on Friday, and she eventually confessed to intentionally leaving the dog inside her hot truck for hours on end.
She was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty and taken to the Broward County Jail.
Police first began investigating Koval on June 22 after receiving tips claiming she was neglecting the animal.
When officers arrived in the area, they made the horrifying discovery of a dead brindle pit bull on the floorboard of a truck.
Police did not find any witnesses to aid in the investigation, and have asked the community for any information regarding the case.
The neglectful owner faces up to five years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines if convicted of aggravated animal cruelty.
