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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Sheriff: Deputies Didn't Know Dog Was Left In Car After Arrest
Posted by:
Dee Dee Dee
()
Date: June 08, 2011 08:49AM
Sheriff: Deputies Didn't Know Dog Was Left In Car After Arrest
http://www.leesburg2day.com/news/article_f7ff6c60-9159-11e0-9b22-001cc4c002e0.html
It is not clear who, if anyone, will be held responsible for the dog that died from the heat after being trapped in a car outside the IHOP restaurant in Sterling for more than 12 hours late last month.
What is known is that deputies were called to scene just after 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 31, by IHOP employees, and Stuart "Stu" Grimes, 24, was arrested after falling asleep in the Sterling restaurant after attending a party in the area. He was charged with being drunk in public, and later obstruction of justice, and held in the county jail until the evening hours.
His four-year-old Labrador/Boxer mix Rex was still in his SUV outside the restaurant.
When Grimes, who is from Herndon, was released from jail, according to various reports from friends and concerned citizens, he rushed Rex to an emergency veterinarian, but it was too late. Weather reports put the temperature in Sterling that day at 94 degrees.
Grimes said he repeatedly asked the deputies who arrested him, and then those at the Adult Detention Center to rescue Rex-even to the point of begging-but he was ignored. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office says they had no idea there was a dog in Grimes' car.
Speaking about the incident to county supervisors Tuesday, Sheriff Stephen O. Simpson said everyone in the department is wishing there had been a different outcome.
"We wish we had known there was a dog in the car," he said. "Had we known there was a dog in the vehicle it would have been addressed I assure you."
Simpson noted that his agency fields many calls during the hot summer months about dogs left in cars with the windows up, or only slightly cracked, and his deputies come upon them in their patrols as well. In those cases, deputies are authorized to break the window of a car to free the animal inside.
But in Grimes' case, Simpson said, deputies could not even get him to tell them who he was or how he got to the IHOP, and there was no mention of the dog. Simpson said Grimes was drunk when arrested, combative and deputies had to use physical restraint to get him to the Adult Detention Center. When asked, Simpson said Grimes responded that he had arrived at the IHOP in a "spaceship" and later by "magic dust."
It was his actions at the time of his arrest that led to the charge of resisting arrest. Around 4 p.m., Grimes posted bond and made a phone call to have a friend pick him up, Simpson told supervisors.
He told supervisors that the sheriff's office internal affairs investigators talked with employees at IHOP, deputies and guards at the jail and no one said they heard Grimes mention a dog in his car.
"They're all horrified by this and wish they could have done something," he said. "There was nothing that was ever said to anyone about that. Nothing was ever said that would have led us to believe there was an animal in distress anywhere."
Supervisor Stevens Miller (D-Dulles) asked Simpson about claims made by Grimes that the deputy used the electronic key found in his pocket to locate his car in the IHOP parking lot.
Simpson acknowledged that the deputy used the key, but only to see if his car was in the parking lot, since Grimes had claimed he arrived by spaceship. Simpson said the car was located about 70 feet away from the deputy at the time. Grimes has said it was right in front of them.
Miller then asked what many have been inquiring of the sheriff's office in e-mails and phone calls: if the deputy saw the car, why did he not go look in it?
Simpson said the vehicle was not part of the incident for which Grimes was being arrested, and equated it to someone arrested for fighting at a bar or shoplifting at the mall. In those cases, deputies do not search for vehicles belonging to the arrestee. He pointed out that because the car was not involved in the incident it is illegal for deputies to search it. It also is not agency policy to have cars of arrestee towed from a parking lot or private area. Cars are towed only if they are in the public right of way.
The sheriff's office is continuing its investigation, but when pressed by Miller about what else there is to investigate, Simpson acknowledged there was little, short of another witness stepping forward.
In addition to the sheriff's office investigation, the Department of Animal Services is conducting its own investigation into the incident. That investigation began after the agency received a complaint about Rex's death. If a complaint is lodged, the agency by state law must investigate.
A Photo of Rex, who was left unattended in a parked car for more than 12 hours following his owner's arrest. The dog later died.
Attachments:
http://www.leesburg2day.com/news/article_f7ff6c60-9159-11e0-9b22-001cc4c002e0.html
It is not clear who, if anyone, will be held responsible for the dog that died from the heat after being trapped in a car outside the IHOP restaurant in Sterling for more than 12 hours late last month.
What is known is that deputies were called to scene just after 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 31, by IHOP employees, and Stuart "Stu" Grimes, 24, was arrested after falling asleep in the Sterling restaurant after attending a party in the area. He was charged with being drunk in public, and later obstruction of justice, and held in the county jail until the evening hours.
His four-year-old Labrador/Boxer mix Rex was still in his SUV outside the restaurant.
When Grimes, who is from Herndon, was released from jail, according to various reports from friends and concerned citizens, he rushed Rex to an emergency veterinarian, but it was too late. Weather reports put the temperature in Sterling that day at 94 degrees.
Grimes said he repeatedly asked the deputies who arrested him, and then those at the Adult Detention Center to rescue Rex-even to the point of begging-but he was ignored. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office says they had no idea there was a dog in Grimes' car.
Speaking about the incident to county supervisors Tuesday, Sheriff Stephen O. Simpson said everyone in the department is wishing there had been a different outcome.
"We wish we had known there was a dog in the car," he said. "Had we known there was a dog in the vehicle it would have been addressed I assure you."
Simpson noted that his agency fields many calls during the hot summer months about dogs left in cars with the windows up, or only slightly cracked, and his deputies come upon them in their patrols as well. In those cases, deputies are authorized to break the window of a car to free the animal inside.
But in Grimes' case, Simpson said, deputies could not even get him to tell them who he was or how he got to the IHOP, and there was no mention of the dog. Simpson said Grimes was drunk when arrested, combative and deputies had to use physical restraint to get him to the Adult Detention Center. When asked, Simpson said Grimes responded that he had arrived at the IHOP in a "spaceship" and later by "magic dust."
It was his actions at the time of his arrest that led to the charge of resisting arrest. Around 4 p.m., Grimes posted bond and made a phone call to have a friend pick him up, Simpson told supervisors.
He told supervisors that the sheriff's office internal affairs investigators talked with employees at IHOP, deputies and guards at the jail and no one said they heard Grimes mention a dog in his car.
"They're all horrified by this and wish they could have done something," he said. "There was nothing that was ever said to anyone about that. Nothing was ever said that would have led us to believe there was an animal in distress anywhere."
Supervisor Stevens Miller (D-Dulles) asked Simpson about claims made by Grimes that the deputy used the electronic key found in his pocket to locate his car in the IHOP parking lot.
Simpson acknowledged that the deputy used the key, but only to see if his car was in the parking lot, since Grimes had claimed he arrived by spaceship. Simpson said the car was located about 70 feet away from the deputy at the time. Grimes has said it was right in front of them.
Miller then asked what many have been inquiring of the sheriff's office in e-mails and phone calls: if the deputy saw the car, why did he not go look in it?
Simpson said the vehicle was not part of the incident for which Grimes was being arrested, and equated it to someone arrested for fighting at a bar or shoplifting at the mall. In those cases, deputies do not search for vehicles belonging to the arrestee. He pointed out that because the car was not involved in the incident it is illegal for deputies to search it. It also is not agency policy to have cars of arrestee towed from a parking lot or private area. Cars are towed only if they are in the public right of way.
The sheriff's office is continuing its investigation, but when pressed by Miller about what else there is to investigate, Simpson acknowledged there was little, short of another witness stepping forward.
In addition to the sheriff's office investigation, the Department of Animal Services is conducting its own investigation into the incident. That investigation began after the agency received a complaint about Rex's death. If a complaint is lodged, the agency by state law must investigate.
A Photo of Rex, who was left unattended in a parked car for more than 12 hours following his owner's arrest. The dog later died.
Attachments:
Re: Sheriff: Deputies Didn't Know Dog Was Left In Car After Arrest
Posted by:
snowdenscold
()
Date: June 08, 2011 02:01PM
Sounds like an idiot who is trying to blame it on police after the fact. 99% chance he never said anything to them about a dog - just wants to stick it to them since he's upset.
Re: Sheriff: Deputies Didn't Know Dog Was Left In Car After Arrest
Posted by:
Deputy Dog
()
Date: June 08, 2011 07:10PM
snowdenscold Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sounds like an idiot who is trying to blame it on
> police after the fact. 99% chance he never said
> anything to them about a dog - just wants to stick
> it to them since he's upset.
Dog gone.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sounds like an idiot who is trying to blame it on
> police after the fact. 99% chance he never said
> anything to them about a dog - just wants to stick
> it to them since he's upset.
Dog gone.
Man convicted in drunk IHOP, dead dog case
Posted by:
The Insiders
()
Date: November 20, 2011 07:51PM
Man convicted in drunk IHOP, dead dog case
Friday, Nov. 18, 2011 by Matt Vecchio
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/man_convicted_in_drunk_ihop_dead_dog_case123/
A Herndon man’s dog succumbed to the heat inside of a parked car in May after he was arrested for drunk in public. He’ll now spend five days in jail.
The incident first occurred on May 31, when Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the IHOP at Cedar Lake Plaza in Sterling after receiving a report of an intoxicated individual.
Stuart Grimes, 24, was taken into custody after a brief struggle, and was later taken before a magistrate judge and charged with drunk in public and obstruction of justice.
But that wouldn’t be all for Grimes, who had his dog, Rex, locked up in his vehicle in the IHOP parking lot.
The 4-year-old Labrador-Boxer mix died from heat stroke while in the car.
At the time, Grimes claimed that he told arresting deputies and Adult Detention Center personnel that the animal was in his vehicle – leading to a media firestorm in the days following Grimes’ arrest.
The Department of Animal Control conducted an investigation into the event, and found no evidence to support on confirm Grimes’ allegations, Shelter Administrator Laura Rizer said.
“After our investigation and looking into those allegations, they were unfounded,” Chief of the Animal Control division Adrienne Burton said.
A parallel investigation by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office confirmed similar results.
According to spokesman Kraig Troxell, no evidence had been found to indicate that Grimes mentioned there was a dog in the vehicle – or even the vehicle – to either the deputies who made the arrest or ADC personnel.
As a result of the investigations, Grimes was arrested again June 21 and charged with animal cruelty and confinement of an animal in a vehicle, adding to his tally of charges that included obstruction of justice without force, public intoxication and DUI.
At trial on Nov. 16, Grimes was found guilty of the original May arrest charges and of confinement of an animal in a vehicle, but not of animal cruelty.
He will spend five days in jail for his obstruction of justice without force conviction (with five months, 25 days suspended) and received an additional 60 suspended days for confinement and the DUI. Additionally, Grimes will face certain restrictions on his drivers license.
Grimes’ attorney Daniel Poretz did not return phone calls regarding the case. John Geddie contributed to this report.
Attachments:
Friday, Nov. 18, 2011 by Matt Vecchio
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/man_convicted_in_drunk_ihop_dead_dog_case123/
A Herndon man’s dog succumbed to the heat inside of a parked car in May after he was arrested for drunk in public. He’ll now spend five days in jail.
The incident first occurred on May 31, when Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the IHOP at Cedar Lake Plaza in Sterling after receiving a report of an intoxicated individual.
Stuart Grimes, 24, was taken into custody after a brief struggle, and was later taken before a magistrate judge and charged with drunk in public and obstruction of justice.
But that wouldn’t be all for Grimes, who had his dog, Rex, locked up in his vehicle in the IHOP parking lot.
The 4-year-old Labrador-Boxer mix died from heat stroke while in the car.
At the time, Grimes claimed that he told arresting deputies and Adult Detention Center personnel that the animal was in his vehicle – leading to a media firestorm in the days following Grimes’ arrest.
The Department of Animal Control conducted an investigation into the event, and found no evidence to support on confirm Grimes’ allegations, Shelter Administrator Laura Rizer said.
“After our investigation and looking into those allegations, they were unfounded,” Chief of the Animal Control division Adrienne Burton said.
A parallel investigation by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office confirmed similar results.
According to spokesman Kraig Troxell, no evidence had been found to indicate that Grimes mentioned there was a dog in the vehicle – or even the vehicle – to either the deputies who made the arrest or ADC personnel.
As a result of the investigations, Grimes was arrested again June 21 and charged with animal cruelty and confinement of an animal in a vehicle, adding to his tally of charges that included obstruction of justice without force, public intoxication and DUI.
At trial on Nov. 16, Grimes was found guilty of the original May arrest charges and of confinement of an animal in a vehicle, but not of animal cruelty.
He will spend five days in jail for his obstruction of justice without force conviction (with five months, 25 days suspended) and received an additional 60 suspended days for confinement and the DUI. Additionally, Grimes will face certain restrictions on his drivers license.
Grimes’ attorney Daniel Poretz did not return phone calls regarding the case. John Geddie contributed to this report.
Attachments: