CRANSTON, R.I. -- The man whose miniature pinscher died of heat exhaustion in a car parked at the Walmart at 1776 Plainfield Pike has been identified as Francesco Placella, 51, of Foster, Cranston police officials said in a news release Tuesday.
Cranston Police Maj. Robert W. Ryan said police responded to the Walmart for a report of a man yelling at people as they left the store. Witnesses said the man, who had left before police arrived, was upset because his dog had died in his car.
Johnston police notified Cranston police that a man had brought his unresponsive dog to PetSmart in Johnston and had threatened to return to the Wamart to "shoot the place up."
Ryan said Placella left his five-year-old dog, Bella, in the car after being advised of Walmart's no-pet policy. He left some water and the windows slightly open. He was in the store for about 43 minutes, a surveillance video showed.
A necropsy determined that the dog died of heat exhaustion.
Placella was arrested Tuesday afternoon on a warrant. He is being charged with unnecessary cruelty to an animal, a misdemeanor.