By Staff
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have taken 56-year-old Ida Marie Turner into custody after a dog was discovered in dire condition inside a sweltering vehicle parked outside her residence.
At approximately 12:30 p.m. on May 26, a Deputy from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Tower Oaks neighborhood in response to an animal services alert.
The responding officer used an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature inside the vehicle, finding it to be a scorching 171 degrees on the dashboard and 101 degrees at the floor level.
After being read her Miranda rights, Turner reportedly confessed to leaving the dog inside a kennel located in the cargo area of her vehicle. The car had been parked in front of her home for nearly two hours under direct sunlight, with all doors and windows shut, and without air conditioning or water for the animal.
The dog was rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic, where it was determined to be in a critical state.
Turner has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty causing excessive suffering. She has no criminal history, and Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $5,000 and ordered her to have no contact with animals.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
