CBS2 Exclusive: Manhattan Architect Charged In Dogs' Hot Truck Death

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Manhattan architect has been charged with animal cruelty for killing his dogs by leaving them in a hot car.

As CBS2's Tony Aiello reported, police caught up to the man thanks to a quick thinking woman in Dutchess County.

"I was shocked. I did the best I can, I stood in front of the truck, took his picture. I ran to the police," Barbara Rice said.

A picture that Rice took enabled police to make the animal cruelty arrest.

Yu Inamoto, 41, a Harvard grad who works as an architect in Manhattan has been charged in the deaths of his dogs, Kimchi and Tofu.

"He had just happened to open the vehicle and I just happened to look, and I saw him shaking a dog and the dog was not moving, and I knew immediately, I said, 'That dog's been in this car the whole time!'" she said.

It happened on Saturday, in a parking lot at the Dutchess County Balloon Festival. Police said Inamoto left the dogs in the sport-utility vehicle while he attended the festival with his family.

It was 85 degrees and Kimchi and Tofu couldn't survive the heat building up in the SUV.

"I saw them take some bottled water and put it on the dog, at that point they saw me," Rice said.

Rice took the picture as the SUV left the scene.

CBS2 caught up with Inamoto's wife on Monday outside of their Lower East Side apartment. She refused to answer any questions about their alleged actions on Saturday.

"I have to say that they did look upset, and I understand that, but it was plain stupid," Rice said.

Poughkeepsie police said Inamoto was cooperative when they tracked him down. The misdemeanor animal cruelty charge carries up to a year in jail.