Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies are noting a rise in crimes of opportunity they say is related to the recent heat wave, officials said.

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The hot weather also is making it especially dangerous to leave an animal or pet behind in a car, officials said. 

With the hot weather, residents often will crack a window when they leave their car parked outside, leave a rear screen door open instead of a sliding glass one and leave open their garage door open, officials said.

However, all of these behaviors can make someone more likely to become victimized, said Deputy Josh Dubin of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

“In the last 72 hours we’ve seen some crime directly related to the heat,” Dubin said. “Deputies want to make sure that when the temperature rises, people are still mindful of theft-related crimes. Cracking a window might keep your car cooler, but it also makes it a target for a potential theft.”

Another crime that takes place more frequently in the heat is animal cruelty and child endangerment, officials said.

Related: Santa Clarita Valley Deputies Offer Caution About Leaving Pets, Kids In Cars

Every year, officials remind the public about the dangers of leaving a pet or child behind in a car on a hot day in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Amelia Ritzel, 49, is the latest to be cited for an alleged violation of 597.7a, a misdemeanor violation of a law that states: “No person shall leave or confine an animal in any unattended motor vehicle under conditions that endanger the health or well-being of an animal due to heat, cold, lack of adequate ventilation, or lack of food or water, or other circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause suffering, disability, or death to the animal.”

A deputy was able to rescue an animal left in Ritzel’s car outside Target in 95 degree heat Tuesday morning, officials said.

Deputies take each call for service regarding trapped pets individually, according to Sheriff’s Station officials.

But if a pet owner can’t be reached, then the Department of Animal Care and Control will be contacted in order to free a distressed animal, if that’s what the situation calls for, said Deputy Mark Wood of the Sheriff’s Station, in a previous interview.

Anyone reporting a trapped pet should stay away from the vehicle they’re reporting, Wood said. Citizens are discouraged from taking matters into their own hands, he added.

When conditions are too hot or too cold for the animal to be left alone in a vehicle, or there is not proper ventilation, then the vehicle’s owner could be arrested for violating California penal code section 597.7, Dubin said.

Law enforcement officers who observe an animal in a vehicle that they reasonable believe may be suffering are entitled to take whatever actions necessary to help the animal, including smashing windows or prying open car doors, according to California state law.

“Within minutes, your car can reach well over 100 degrees,” Dubin said. “In 10 minutes, a car can heat up at least 20 degrees fahrenheit, and cracking a window does little to keep a car cool.”

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