A woman visiting court at the Gwinnett County Jail now finds herself behind bars are leaving her dog inside her hot car for five hours.

The Rottweiler named Rambo was dead by the time a deputy escorted 46-year-old Connie Gomez to her car to check on the animal. She became concerned about her dog while waiting in court for a domestic case and wanted to check on him.

“She was very distraught that her dog was deceased as were the staff members who responded,” says Deputy Shannon Volkodav.

The car was parked in the far corner of the jail’s parking lot with its windows cracked one inch.

Volkodav tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish what’s even more upsetting is that the jail has worked to save hundreds of animals through its jail dog and cat programs.

“We’ve rescued, through that program, over 400 dogs and dozens of cats. So, it’s especially tragic that something so horrific would unfold right in our parking lot,” she says.

Gomez is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals. She will have her first court appearance Friday morning.