SANDUSKY, Ohio — An Ohio woman was arrested after she told police that she locked her pitbull in her hot car as punishment and the animal died.
Officers responded to the home of 58-year-old Mouheb Ashakih in Sandusky at around 7 p.m. Saturday after a neighbor reported seeing her put the dog, Chapo, inside a Toyota Camry, WSYX reported.
The neighbor told police that he could hear barking and then watched Ashakih, since charged with cruelty to animals, “pick up Chapo and throw him into the back seat,” the TV station reported.
According to police, the neighbor went to Ashakih and told her to let the dog out, and she told him, “I don’t care. I want him to die.” The exchange prompted him to contact authorities, WSYX reported.
Ashakih admitted to responding officers that she had placed the dog in the car as punishment after it attacked one of her other dogs, People magazine reported.
According to police, Chapo, who was found lying on the vehicle’s floorboard, had been in the locked car with no windows down for about half an hour, while outdoor temperatures registered about 81 degrees, WSYX reported.
Ashakih began screaming when she saw Chapo and asked officers to break her car window, which they did, but the dog had already died. Officers also documented evidence that Chapo had tried to scratch and dig his way out of the vehicle, the TV station reported.
All four of Ashakih’s other dogs have been surrendered to animal control officials with the city of Sandusky, People reported.