A North Texas man is behind bars on South Padre Island after being arrested for his dog’s heat-related death at a popular water park.
South Padre Island police arrested Ambrosius Susilo Bekti under an animal cruelty charge on Thursday afternoon.
A passerby told a police officer that a dog had been left inside a Ford Windstar Van in the parking lot of the Schlitterbahn Water Park.
The police officer saw the dog breathing but not moving.
Firefighters were called to the scene and were able to get inside the car but the animal started convulsing.
The dog was not moving and breathing.
Rescuers tried to perform CPR but were unable to save the dog’s life.
Police were unable to locate the owner inside the water park and impounded the van.
Betki allegedly called the South Padre Island Police Department about a missing van.
The 41-year-old Keller, Texas man allegedly confirmed that the impounded van was his and that he last saw the dog inside it around 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
Investigators believe that the animal was left alone in the van for over 3 ½ hours with temperatures exceeding 120 degrees Fahrenheit inside.
A municipal judge gave Betki a $3,000 dollar bond.
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