Batavia Woman Left 8 Dogs Locked in a Van and 3 of Them Died: Cops

A police officer who grew suspicious about a van with covered windows parked all day at the Batavia Government Center found eight dogs inside the van on Thursday. When they broke into the van, six of the dogs were in distress and two of the dogs were dead, according to police. A third dog died later.

Now Julie A. Brungard-Giordano, 47, of the 200 block of N. Island Avenue in Batavia, faces four felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and four misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals, according to Batavia police. She’s in Kane County Jail Friday with bail set at $35,000.

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At 5:45 p.m., April 2, the officer forced his way into the vehicle after peering through a crack in the windows and seeing the dogs. The windows were rolled up and mostly covered with towels. One male dog and one female dog were dead. The remaining dogs were suffering from extreme dehydration. One was laboring to breathe.

Kane County Animal Control took the six living dogs to an animal hospital in Aurora. A second female dog died enroute to the hospital.

Brungard-Giordano is the owner of the animals.

The Daily Herald reports that Brungard-Giordano has run afoul of the law in the past.

Kane County court records show that Brungard-Giordano was issued a ticket in 2007 for having more than three dogs or cats at her home when she lived in St. Charles.

Court records also indicate she was evicted last month from an address in St. Charles, and that she pleaded guilty last month to felony charges of aggravated battery of a peace officer and resisting a peace officer in charges stemming from a 2011 incident.