INDIANAPOLIS — Marcita Hughes is used to taking care of a few clients here at InTown Suites on the north side of Indianapolis.
But on Thursday, June 20, she found herself in the parking lot in the 5800 block of West 85th Street, near Zionsville Road, trying to help three animals she said were locked in a hot car.
"It's literally so hot out that I'm sweating. I'm sweating. I haven't even been out here that long, but to leave a dog, a child, a human, anybody in car with the windows up is just ... pure evil," Hughes said.
As Hughes was walking in to the hotel, she said she saw a pit bull jumping back and forth in a car in the parking lot.
"He was scraping at the windows. Poor thing couldn't bark anymore, so he was whining. Not only was he was whining, it got so bad that he started honking the horn," Hughes said.
That's when Hughes went to tell someone at front desk, who already spoke to the owner and was on the phone with 311. When the owner finally got outside, Hughes said she offered to give his dog water. Hughes said she was verbally assaulted in return.
"That was it," Hughes said. "At that point, I didn't care what you had to say, what you thought, nothing, I'm getting that dog out that car."
Hughes said while she was calling IMPD, the owner had opened the door to his car and, to her surprise, there were more animals inside.
"I saw a full-blooded shepherd ... quiet ... (I) didn't see the pit anymore. It died. Not only that, there was a cat inside the car also," Hughes said.
According to police, when an officer arrived at 6 p.m., the temperature was 90 degrees.
"It's so hot out here. You shouldn't be leaving dogs, animals, no one in a car for too long, Hughes said. "If you need to go in some place or you're making a small errand, leave your dog at home. Leave them at home. Leave them at home in the air."
A police officer spoke with the 74-year-old woman, who allegedly said the dogs and one cat were left in the car because the hotel was not pet-friendly.
According to court documents, the woman told police that the German Shepherd and cat were hers, and the pit bull belonged to the 53-year-old man she was with.
(NOTE: 13News does not name suspects until formal charges are filed by prosecutors.)
According to court documents, an Animal Control worker arrived and put the German Shepherd and cat in the air-conditioned animal control vehicle and gave the animals water.
The Marion County Inmate Roster shows the two were released Friday afternoon.
According to court documents, the officer saw the chain the pit bull was on was tied to a weight in the floorboard of the car.
According to court documents, Hughes pointed the officer to saliva marks on the window from the dogs trying to get air from outside, as well as a scratch in the tint of one of the windows, indicating the dogs were likely trying to use their claws to get out.
As for the dog and cat that survived, 13News is still waiting to hear back for information about their condition.
Court documents say the car was towed, and the officer noted that the controls to the air conditioning were turned off, the engine was off, the keys to the car were inside the ignition, but the engine was off. The officer turned on the car and found that there was approximately 1/4 of a tank of gas left.
IMPD arrested the man for a felony of animal cruelty-kill domestic animal, while the woman was arrested for a misdemeanor of animal cruelty.
Both suspects' initial hearings are scheduled for Wednesday, June 26 at 8:30 a.m.