Hearing Set For Woman Who Left Dog In Car In 100-Degree Heat For Entire Day

INDIO (CBSLA.com)  —  A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for an Irvine woman accused of leaving her dog in her vehicle on a 100-degree day in Coachella for an entire day.

Charu Lata Khanna, 30, pleaded not guilty to a felony animal cruelty charge and is free on a $5,000 bond.

A judge will rule at the preliminary hearing in February whether there is enough evidence for Khanna to go to trial.

On May 5 -- the daytime high had been about 100 degrees -- a California Highway Patrol officer saw a dog in a locked vehicle parked at Vista Del Norte and Dillon Road and notified sheriff's deputies.

Officials questioned people who worked in the area. They learned that the vehicle had been there for more than a day, with the windows up, Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Robert Bishop said.

Deputies identified Khanna as the owner and arrested her, he said.

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