March 09--Two men are accused of animal cruelty after seven dogs were in the trunk of a car for more than 12 hours in the Gold Coast neighborhood and were found early Friday, police said.
Vito Stramaglia, 47, of the 7600 block of East Miami River Road in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Hugo Santamaria, 28, of the 400 block of South Palm Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif., were charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty, according to police and court records.
Their bails were set at $5,000 each during a Sunday hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court building.
Officers were called to a parking garage in the 0-100 block of East Chestnut Street at 1:55 a.m. Friday for a report of a dog locked in the trunk of a running vehicle, according to Stramaglia's arrest report.
When Near North District officers got there, they heard barking from the trunk and seven dogs were found inside after a garage attendant was able to open it, the report said.
Court documents show that Stramaglia "knowingly and unlawfully" kept seven dogs in the trunk without food and water and in unsanitary conditions with feces and urine for over 12 hours.
The dogs were picked up by animal cruelty staffers and as officers began looking for the vehicle's owner, Santamaria and another person showed up. Santamaria said they were going to take the dogs for a walk with Stramaglia, and police then found Stramaglia on the ramp to the parking garage.
Stramaglia told officers he was "sorry for leaving the dogs in the car but the Sofitel Hotel does not allow dogs,'' the report said.
The men were guests at the hotel, according to a law enforcement source.
Information about how the dogs are doing was not immediately available.
Tribune reporter Geoff Ziezulewicz contributed.
