Two people were charged after 2 monkeys, one dead, were found in their vehicle in a Tennessee waterpark parking lot, police say

  • Police in Tennessee found two monkeys inside a hot car at a waterpark.

  • One was discovered dead, and the other was "distress from the extreme interior vehicle heat," police said.

  • Their owners, Nova Brettell, and David Paul Brettell were charged with animal cruelty.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

A duo from Indiana was charged after authorities found two monkeys in their blazing hot vehicle on Wednesday afternoon.

The owners, Nova Brettell and David Paul Brettell, both 54-years-old, are facing animal cruelty charges, according to a statement from the Sevierville Police Department.

Police said their vehicle was in the parking lot at Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Tennessee. An employee reported a dead monkey inside the car.

Responding officers found at the deceased nine-week-old marmoset monkey, along with another five-week-old that "appeared to be in distress from the extreme interior vehicle heat," according to the statement. The surviving monkey was transferred to a local animal hospital.

According to WATE-TV, the excessive heat inside of the car could have played a role in both monkeys' conditions. Police said it was about 87 degrees outside during the time of the incident.

An investigation into the incident is underway, and "additional charges are possible," the statement said.

Read the original article on Insider