Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies are noting a rise in crimes of opportunity they say are related to the current heat wave.
The hot weather also is making it especially dangerous to leave an animal or pet behind in a car, officials said.
With the hot weather, residents often will crack a window when they leave their car parked outside, leave a rear screen door open instead of a sliding glass one and leave open their garage door open, officials said.
However, all of these behaviors can make someone more likely to become victimized, said Deputy Josh Dubin of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
“In the last 72 hours we’ve seen some crime directly related to the heat,” Dubin said. “Deputies want to make sure that when the temperature rises, people are still mindful of theft-related crimes. Cracking a window might keep your car cooler, but it also makes it a target for a potential theft.”
Another crime that takes place more frequently in the heat is animal cruelty and child endangerment, officials said.
Every year, officials remind the public about the dangers of leaving a pet or child behind in a car on a hot day in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Amelia Rietzel, 49, is the latest to be cited for an alleged violation of 597.7a, a misdemeanor violation of a law that states: “No person shall leave or confine an animal in any unattended motor vehicle under conditions that endanger the health or well-being of an animal due to heat, cold, lack of adequate ventilation, or lack of food or water, or other circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause suffering, disability, or death to the animal.”
A deputy was able to rescue an animal left in Rietzel’s car outside Target in 95 degree heat Tuesday morning, officials said.
Deputies take each call for service regarding trapped pets individually, according to Sheriff’s Station officials.
But if a pet owner can’t be reached, then the Department of Animal Care and Control will be contacted in order to free a distressed animal, if that’s what the situation calls for, said Deputy Mark Wood of the Sheriff’s Station, in a previous interview.
Anyone reporting a trapped pet should stay away from the vehicle they’re reporting, Wood said. Citizens are discouraged from taking matters into their own hands, he added.
When conditions are too hot or too cold for the animal to be left alone in a vehicle, or there is not proper ventilation, then the vehicle’s owner could be arrested for violating California penal code section 597.7, Dubin said.
Law enforcement officers who observe an animal in a vehicle that they reasonable believe may be suffering are entitled to take whatever actions necessary to help the animal, including smashing windows or prying open car doors, according to California state law.
“Within minutes, your car can reach well over 100 degrees,” Dubin said. “In 10 minutes, a car can heat up at least 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and cracking a window does little to keep a car cool.”
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27 Comments
If a burglar saw my car, they’d leave me $20.
Mary Baxter- Jordan Jeff Jordan
Bobby Phillips
Has nothing to do with all the illegals and Mexican population that is now here ??? Oh wait im being racist? Hmmm guess me being half Mexican cant speak of this
Where do you even come up with this? Pathetic…. And yes being half-anything can still make you a racist.
The racists that don’t even know they are racists are the worst.
Wow, …
Where do i come up with this pay a visit to cc or better yet live in cc and tell me how the demographics have changed and how scv sherrifs wont even patrol certain areas. I speak from actual expeirence and you ?
But lets blame the last 10 year of violence on the heat has nothing to do with all the illegals gang members and lowlife drug addicts that are living all over this town in the section 8. Buddy , you need to get out more.
Tell that to the blacks in South Central that use to own their community and have become professional victims due to the influx of illegal immigrants. I don’t mind immigration if they add to the pot but it’s a silent take over. I’ve got no problem with Chicanos because they want the dream just like we do. Our state is starting to resemble a third world country and it’s sad.
Wash Junkies Are Coming Out Of The Wood Works To Boost Our Stuff. And Anywhere On The Bike Path Past Camp And You Need To Carry A Blade For Protection. It’s Really Sad To See How Shady Parts Of This Town Are Getting. Spend Some Time On The Bike Path If You Want To See The Seedy Underbelly Of This Town.
As 4 years previous licensed bail-bond agent. All the calls coming from the Santa Clarita sheriff station are drug and theft related and 90% are from my fellow white folks. I am by no means trying to stereo type but just keeping it reals
Carlos are u serious? Can you do me a favor and message me just for a tease of every person thats filed that is arrested and there origin from this last week or last week or a year. Im sorry brother but you have must live in a different area because i do check and i have seen the criminal reports for everyday in scv and what you say is very false. Please be honest here
Wow…some people need a reality check!
If you sit in the courtrooms, you’ll see what the majority are.
How about they arrest and ship out the crack heads to jail when they hang around granary square all day and night. Begging and just being shady. Get them outta here! When we call they say we can’t do anything. It’s like they are waiting for a robbery to finally bust or to say now we have a drug problem. Get them now! Why wait!
This is so sad cause it’s just really about getting the trash out! The trash comes in all different colors!
I knew roughly 16 years ago that’s folks came from other valleys to rob the folks of awesome town because of the low crime rate
What We Really Need To Do About These “Mexican Criminals” Or Any Young Kid Is Start Early And Raise Your Kids Right Discipline Them Treat Them Let Them Know The Difference Right From Wrong And Simply Teach Them To Respect Others And Themselfs. Worked Out Great For Me. So Many Bad People Out On These Streets Now. I Was On The Bike Trail One Time Trying To Get Home And Out Comes Two Gang Members Asking For Money Tried To Rob Me With Nothing But There Fists Damn Crackheads. Sadly Our Town Is Longer How It Use To Be. But Younger Kids Our The Future For This Town And Slowly All Those Bad People Will Become Good People. Our Main Problem Would Simply Be Negative Minds Influencing Young Kids I’m Only 17 And I’m Doing Pretyy Fine.
Next time your driving on the 10 freeway next to the 5 and buses all over downtown advertising in big billboards ” move were it’s awesome is” Santa Clarita , wake up the developers have sold us out in this valley, they are and have been promoting this area in areas were there is more crime basically bringing it here , moving it in to the older areas of our valley, driving you to move to new homes they are building in new areas to get away from your once nice neighborhood that is unsafe at night now, newhall land and farm used to care about this community but the were sold to the home developers sometime I’m the past 10 years
Crime is crime it doesn’t matter the color of your skin or where your from. Just be careful everywhere there are drug addicts and low life’s. Keep your doors locked and start a neighborhood watch to have your neighbors back so they can have yours. All this racist crap is BS. Let’s look at the bigger picture here, crime is being committed let’s try and find a solution instead of playing the blame game.
In regards to that comment, I think we BOTH know that it’s a polluted world that we live in. For example A gentleman might come across a semi Mediocre woman and he might not condone or value her opinion on this high crime rate not to mention racism , but once the door closes she switches the role that she preaches…. so what can I call that ???
Full on assault on crime before we become the next Ferguson Mi. If we don’t nip it in the bud we’re doomed. What are we waiting for? Heck just last week there were at least TWO reported home INVASIONS.
INVASIONS get your head around it I N V A S I O N.
Crime going up because of the heat wave? And I thought the only things that invaded my house during a heat wave were ants.
Another thing folks should worry about is your garage door opener. Thieves are starting to target cars with garage door openers visibly seen clipped on the sunshade, on the dashboard or cupholders.
Please hide your garage door opener or get something like Dorr, a device that turns your smartphone into a garage door opener.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2146771868/dorr-garage-door-remote-for-ios-and-android
Please try to break into my house or garage. I dare you :)