Gambler left puppy in hot car with mouth taped shut at Vegas casino, police say

A man was arrested in Las Vegas after being accused of taping his puppy’s mouth shut and leaving the dog inside his car as temperatures inside reached the triple digits, local outlets reported.

Raul Carbajal, of Corona Del Mar, California, was arrested at around 3:20 p.m. on July 20 in the parking lot of the Bellagio, a popular casino and resort on the Las Vegas Strip, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. He now faces charges of animal abuse.

The puppy, a 3-month-old Siberian husky, had been found in Carbajal’s car with a piece of electrical tape sealing its mouth shut, KVVU-TV reported. Carbajal was seen on surveillance footage parking the car at around 1:15 p.m. that day and going inside the casino to gamble, the TV station reported citing an arrest report.

Surveillance video from inside the casino shows Carbajal gambling for about an hour before returning to his car, where he was questioned by officers who responded to calls about the trapped dog, the Review-Journal reported.

The temperature inside the car was about 108 degrees when casino security officials rescued the puppy through the vehicle’s sunroof, KLAS reported. The car was parked in direct sunlight on the roof of a parking garage, and there was no food, water, or air conditioning for the pet, the outlet reported.

Police told KVVU-TV that when Carbajal returned to the car, he didn’t say anything to police or ask about the puppy.

Police also found a gaming ticket in Carbajal’s clothing that showed he cashed out with 75 cents, KLAS reported.

The puppy survived, the Review-Journal reported. Court records show that Carbajal was arrested on a $5,000 bail, according to KVVU-TV.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Gambler left puppy in hot car with mouth taped shut at Vegas casino, police say."