AZ Rattlers player faces animal cruelty charge after dog left in hot car for hours, police say

PHOENIX — A player for the Arizona Rattlers, the Valley’s indoor professional football team, was cited for animal cruelty after police said he left his dog in a parked car.

Patrick Deonte Jones, 24, of Kaufman, Texas, faces one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty involving neglect or abandonment, according to the Glendale Police Department.

The dog was left in the car for about three hours with the windows closed, police said.

The AZ Rattlers announced Jones was joining the team in October 2025. However, it is unclear if Jones is still on the team as the Rattlers’ current roster appears to be offline.

Officers responded to a parking lot near 59th Avenue and Entertainment Blvd around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday after a caller reported seeing the dog in the car about two hours earlier. No owner appeared during that time, according to a probable cause statement

When officers arrived, they saw the dog panting inside the locked vehicle. The windows were closed except for a small crack, and the dog had no food or water, police said.

Jones arrived shortly afterward and initially denied the vehicle was his before acknowledging it was, according to court documents. He told officers he was staying at a nearby hotel and had nowhere else for the dog.

Police said Jones removed the dog from the car and told officers they could take it because he could not care for it. Officers took the dog to an animal shelter.

Jones was not initially arrested but was advised that charges would be filed, according to court records.

Charges were filed Monday.

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