LADY LAKE, FL (352today.com) – A Lady Lake woman was arrested on an animal cruelty charge after police rescued a puppy from a hot vehicle parked at a shopping center along U.S. HWY 27/441.
Lady Lake police responded around 2:25 p.m. Saturday, May 16, 2026, to the Five Below parking lot after a witness reported a dog locked inside a parked car with the windows only slightly cracked. At the time, temperatures were above 92 degrees with sunny, humid conditions.
Officers Jeffrey Burns and Michael Tisdell located a white Mercury Grand Marquis parked in direct sunlight with no shade. Inside, they found a black puppy panting heavily, crying and scratching at the window. Officers noted the puppy’s tongue was extended and it appeared to be in distress.
The engine was off, and officers said the interior of the vehicle was extremely hot. Unable to reach the locks through the window opening, they used a baton to activate the door unlock mechanism and remove the puppy. Once freed, the officers gave the dog water and placed it in an air-conditioned patrol vehicle.
Officers had been on scene about 10 minutes when the vehicle’s owner returned. The woman, identified as 26-year-old Yeneese Mystic Morejon, told officers she had only been inside the store for “like 30 seconds” and said the line was long.
However, a witness told police the dog may have been inside the vehicle for 45 minutes to an hour, based on when she arrived and later noticed the animal in distress.
Authorities said Morejon was on felony probation through the Florida Department of Correction at the time of the incident. She was arrested and transported to the Lake County Jail without incident.