Woman arrested for leaving dog in hot car in Palm Desert
A woman was arrested in Palm Desert over the weekend on suspicion of animal cruelty.
On Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m., Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the parking lot of the Whole Foods located on the 44400 block of Town Center Way in Palm Desert for a report of a dog in distress in a hot vehicle.
Before deputies arrived, a Good Samaritan was able to remove the dog from the car.
“It’s important for us to take care of these animals the best way we can because at the end of the day, they’re always going to love us unconditionally. And at the end of the day we need to show that unconditional love to them,” said Bryan Hempe, who helped rescue the dog.
Deputies arrived, located the dog, and contacted Animal Services. Animal Services personnel took possession of the dog.
Andrea Lawent, 59, of La Quinta was taken into custody at the scene at 3:54 p.m., according to county jail records. She was booked into Riverside County Jail in Indio and was released just under an hour and a half later.
Lawent spoke to News Channel 3’s Madison Weil and said that she was not required to post bail. According to Lawent, she received a citation and she now has the dog back in her possession, and the dog is doing well. Lawent added this is her first summer in the desert. “People make mistakes. They make mistakes. I made a mistake. I’m not excusing myself, but I made a mistake and thank God she’s okay. And thank God for those people who stood up and did that. That’s fine. I probably would have done the same thing,” she added.
She faces one misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals. She is set to appear in court at the Larson Justice Center in Indio on September 25.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department did not specify the length of time that the animal was left in the car. A bystander is heard saying in a video of the arrest that the dog was in the car for 50 minutes.
