A Miami couple is facing animal cruelty charges after their dog died inside their pickup truck outside an Islamorada restaurant last month, when the vehicle’s engine reportedly shut off while they were eating. Miguel Jimenez, 63, and Dayany Jimenez, 40, told investigators they had left the animal in the truck with the engine running and the air conditioning on while they went inside to dine.
Deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office responded to Mile Marker 81 along Old Highway in Islamorada on August 23 after receiving a report of an injured bulldog or terrier-type dog, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office as reported by the Tampa Free Press. That stretch of Old Highway sits in Upper Matecumbe Key, a commercial corridor lined with seaside restaurants, marinas, and public recreation areas, according to Keys Weekly.
According to investigators, the couple said the truck’s engine shut down when they returned to the vehicle, cutting off the air conditioning that had been keeping the interior cool. By then, the dog had died inside the cab. Deputies notified the Florida Keys SPCA, and authorities went on to secure arrest warrants for both Miguel and Dayany Jimenez, who were booked into jail Tuesday.
How Fast a Parked Truck Turns Deadly
The physics behind the tragedy are well documented. Research from the American Veterinary Medical Association shows interior air temperatures in a parked vehicle can climb nearly 20 degrees Fahrenheit within just 10 minutes and 30 degrees within 20 minutes, and cracking a window barely slows the buildup. August is historically the hottest month of the year in Islamorada, with average highs near 90 degrees and heat indices climbing to about 95 degrees, according to data from Weather Spark. In that kind of humid, tropical heat, an unexpected engine shutdown or air conditioning failure can turn a vehicle cabin into a fatal environment within minutes…