VIERA, Fla. – A police officer who found his K-9 dead inside a sweltering patrol vehicle in Brevard County in April has been charged with animal cruelty, the State Attorney's Office said Wednesday.
Sebastian police Officer Eric Antosia has been charged with one count of animal cruelty, a first-degree misdemeanor, in connection with the death of Sebastian police K-9 Diesel.
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Authorities said Diesel, who had been with the department for a year, was left unattended in Antosia's patrol vehicle outside the Brevard County courthouse in Melbourne on April 28.
It was not immediately known how long Diesel was in the car or how long after the visit to the courthouse the dog was found.
Temperatures reached 88 degrees on the afternoon Diesel was found in the vehicle, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
Antosia's employment status with the department was not immediately known.
A trial date for Antosia has not yet been set.