SAN JUAN, Texas -- A South Texas officer has been charged with animal cruelty after his police dog died when left alone in his cruiser.
McAllen police said in a statement that they responded after Juan Cerrillo Jr., an officer in neighboring San Juan, reported leaving the dog unattended in the car Thursday evening.
The dog, a Belgian Malinois, was dead by the time police arrived.
Cerrillo, 37, was arrested and released Saturday morning, KGBT-TV reports. He has been charged with one count of cruelty to a non-livestock animal, a Class A misdemeanor.
“It was an unfortunate accident,” San Juan City Manager Ben Arjona said.
San Juan police officials did not comment on the incident, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
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