- Lake County News reports
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Detectives arrest two men for cruelty to animals
NICE, Calif. – Two men were arrested on animal cruelty charges last week after they were found to have left two dogs in a vehicle at a local casino during a day when the temperature was more than 100 degrees outside.
Jeremy Thomas Arnold, 29, of Duvall, Wash., and Stephen John Zobrist, 33, of Forestville were arrested on the afternoon of Friday, June 7, according to a report from the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
At 4 p.m. June 7 Lake County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force detectives were conducting a walk through of the Robinson Rancheria Casino, officials reported.
While walking through the casino parking lot detectives – one of whom was a certified canine handler – noticed two dogs in the passenger area of a parked Toyota 4Runner SUV. The report said two of the vehicle windows were rolled down, but only by approximately two inches.
Both dogs were panting heavily and appeared to be overheating. Detectives looked through the windows of the vehicle and did not observe any food or water for the dogs. The outside temperature was approximately 103 degrees Fahrenheit at the time, officials said.
Fearing for the safety of the two dogs, detectives removed the dogs from the vehicle and found that the temperature inside the vehicle was considerably hotter than the temperature outside, the report stated.
Detectives located the owners of the dogs, Arnold and Zobrist, inside the casino. Both Zobrist and Arnold agreed that it was very hot and they should not have left the dogs in the vehicle while they were in the casino, officials said.
The sheriff's office said Zobrist was found to be in possession of prescription narcotic medication but did not have a prescription. Arnold falsely identified himself to detectives.
Detectives found that the dogs were left in the vehicle for approximately 30 minutes. Based on their training and experience, detectives determined that the dogs would have died had they been left in the vehicle much longer, and it was fortunate that the dogs did not die during the time they were left in the vehicle, the report said.
Detectives arrested both Zobrist and Arnold. Personnel from Lake County Animal Care and Control took custody of the two dogs, officials said.
Zobrist was booked in the Hill Road Correctional for cruelty to an animal and possession of a narcotic. Arnold was booked for cruelty to an animal and providing false identification to a peace officer, according to jail records.
Bail for each of the men was set at $15,000. Jail records indicated Zobrist posted the required amount of bail and was released, but Arnold remained in custody on Friday.