A Herndon man whose dog died in his car while the man was being detained for public intoxication has been charged in the dog’s death.
Stuart Grimes, 24, is charged with animal cruelty and confinement of an animal in a vehicle, according to Loudoun County Animal Services.
The dog, Rex, died in Grimes’ car after Grimes was arrested on public intoxication charges in the parking lot of an IHOP restaurant in Sterling in the early-morning hours of May 31. The dog was in the car until Grimes was released from detention several hours later and died of heat stroke, authorities said.
The animal services department said in a statement that Grimes claims he told county sheriff’s office officials that his dog was in his car, but investigators found no evidence that he alerted authorities to the dog.
Sheriff’s deputies, jail officials and IHOP workers told investigators that Grimes never mentioned the dog, Loudoun County Sheriff Steve Simpson told WTOP earlier this month.
