Manhattan Man Arraigned On Animal Cruelty Charges After Dogs Die In Hot SUV
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Manhattan architect was in court Thursday on animal cruelty charges after his two dogs died inside his hot SUV earlier this month.
As CBS2's Alice Gainer reported, Yu Inamoto said he had no comment as he made his way into Poughkeepsie City Court.
The 41-year-old was arraigned on charges he left his two dogs inside an 85-degree SUV, killing them.
But court was adjourned until next month because Inamoto has yet to retain a lawyer, Gainer reported.
Following his court appearance, Inamoto ran from CBS2's cameras, literally sprinting off the court sidewalk and then down the street.
"I saw him shaking a dog and the dog was not moving...and I knew immediately, I said 'that dog's been in this car all this time,'" said witness Barbara Rice.
Rice snapped a picture of the vehicle, which helped police arrest Inamoto. She spoke with CBS2 after the incident.
"I saw them take some bottled water and put it on the dog, at that point they saw me," she said.
Inamoto, a Harvard graduate, had been with his family at the Dutchess County Balloon Festival.
Police said he left the dogs -- Kimchi and Tofu -- in the back of his SUV. They say the dogs couldn't handle the intensifying heat.
Right after his arrest, CBS2 caught up with Inamoto's wife outside their Lower East Side apartment.
"Those were my babies," she said.
But she refused to answer any questions about their alleged actions.
Rice said the family looked upset after discovering the dogs had died. But none of that changes what Rice called just a plain, stupid thing to do, Gainer reported.
Poughkeepsie police said Inamoto was cooperative when they tracked him down. The misdemeanor animal cruelty charge carries up to a year in jail.
He is due back in court on Aug. 13.
