CLEARWATER -- A man faces felony animal cruelty charges, after his dog's death in a hot car.
Police say Jeffrey Hazen, 38, left his dog, a two-year-old mixed breed named Biscuit, and a cat inside the car when he went to work around 2:3Monday afternoon at a hospital.
According to detectives, Hazen told them he's been living in the car. He drove to work directly from Georgia. Police say Hazen told them he locked his doors and left his car running with air conditioner on. But when he went to check on the animals around 7:30, the car had stopped and Biscuit was dead. The incident was reported by a hospital security worker.
Animal control workers found the cat, severely dehydrated. The outdoor temperature that afternoon was in the 70s with high humidity.
Hazen was booked into the Pinellas County jail.
Photo Credit: Clearwater Police, Pinellas County Jail