Man Leaves Dog In Hot Truck While He Shopped At Walmart, Dog Dies, Man Tosses Dog Like Trash

WILLOWS, Calif. - A video showing a dead dog being dumped at the Walmart in Willows has some people upset.

Clarissa and Ricky Montes are a couple who live in Orland, on Sunday they decided to go shop in Willows.

Before they went inside they were sitting inside their car eating lunch at the Walmart parking lot when they noticed a person in a truck next to them throw something out of their truck. The two got out and were shocked to find the body of a dead dog.

That's when Ricky confronted the person sitting in the pick-up truck.

"I was just like shocked," said Clarissa. "I had thought I had seen it all then I'm like 'wow'"

In the video, you can hear Ricky tell the pick-up truck driver "I saw you, my wife is here!" Accusing the driver of dumping the dead dog onto the parking lot.

Ricky told Action News Now that during that tense confrontation he felt "angry, disturbed, just sickening," about the whole situation.

Soon after that, some Walmart employees intervened and called the sheriff's office.

"Once the sheriffs [deputies] pulled up we went in to continue our shopping and then by the time we came out both the truck and the dog were gone. Deputies as well," Ricky said.

The Montes couple said they called the sheriff's office to get some information about the case, but the Montes claim deputies did not provide them with any details regarding what consequences the pick-up truck driver could face.

Action News Now immediately visited the sheriff's office and took the Montes' concerns to Sheriff Richard Warren.

"We contacted the person that did it. They have been issued a citation for the court for cruelty to an animal and improperly disposing of an animal," Warren said.

"I feel like a fine and a ticket isn't enough," Ricky said in response to what sheriff's deputies did as a punishment to the truck driver.

"We don't have to arrest everybody. The crime is potentially a misdemeanor and a felony," Warren said.

Warren also pointed out that the current coronavirus pandemic also played a role in not booking that driver to jail. If that person is found guilty they could face up to 12 months in jail.

"That dude needs some help," referring to the pick-up truck driver "and the Glenn County Sheriffs [deputies] need to take him off the road."

Warren tells Action News Now they believe the dog was dead for quite some time. The dog was properly disposed of after the incident.