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11-Year-Old Boy And 39 Cats Found In Back Of Moving Truck In 102-Degree Heat

OAKDALE (CBS13) - A Modesto mom was arrested for leaving her 11-year-old son and 39 cats in the back of a moving truck in 100-degree heat.

Fifty-one-year-old Heidi Gusman was inside of the lobby of the Motel 6 on F Street in Oakdale around 4 pm yesterday asking for help for her sick cats. Motel staff called the police, and when they arrived, Gusman was hysterical.

Heidi Gusman
Heidi Gusman

Guests told police they heard banging noises coming from inside a nearby moving truck. When officers opened the cargo area, they found the 11-year-old boy and the 39 cats in significant distress. The temperature outside was 102 degrees and it was significantly hotter inside the truck.

Gusman was arrested on child and animal cruelty charges. The boy was placed in protective custody and the cats were taken to the Oakdale Pet Shelter.

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