LA Sheriff's Department dog died after being left for hours in hot car, suit alleges

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department dog died after allegedly being left for hours in a hot car, according to a new lawsuit.

An LASD lieutenant is suing the department over allegations that he faced retaliation when he tried to raise questions about the death of Spike, a department K9, in 2020.

"This dog was left in a hot car for hours, died from overheating," said attorney Vincent Miller, who represents Lt. Joseph Garrido. "And we heard nothing about it whatsoever. Garrido demanded an investigation be done into this and he was ignored and it was swept under the rug."

Lt. Garrido alleges in his whistleblower suit that he has faced the withholding of pay and other retaliation after raising questions about Spike's death as well as other issues in the department.

"You have to ask why is it swept under the rug?" the attorney said. "What wrongdoing occurred?"

He has also raised questions about millions of dollars in hazard pay that is allegedly owed to members of the department's Special Enforcement Bureau.

The suit states Garrido has been subject to retaliation for being a whistleblower, as well as supporting another candidate, other than Sheriff Alex Villanueva for the elected position. He says that retaliation included being subjected to a criminal investigation for allegedly using a sheriff's vehicle for personal reasons, as well as being denied a promotion.

Asked for a response, the Sheriff's Department says it does not comment on pending litigation.

His attorney says Garrido is still employed by the department but has not returned to work.

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