Mother Accused Of Leaving Child Unattended In Truck With 39 Cats

A woman was arrested for leaving her 11-year-old son along with 39 cats unattended inside a moving truck Sunday in Oakdale, California. The truck was later found at a motel parking lot on a day when the temperature was 102 degrees.

The accused, 51-year-old Heidi Gusman, was arrested and booked at Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on child cruelty and animal cruelty charges by Oakdale police, with her bail set at $50,000.

Police personnel were dispatched to the Motel 6 to investigate a report of a woman needing help for her sick cats. The investigators were told about banging noises coming from inside the cargo portion of the truck, the police said, reported WTKR.

The child and the cats were found in distress when the police opened the truck.

"Officers were also notified by other citizens they heard loud banging noises coming from inside a nearby moving truck. Officers determined the prior noises were related to Gusman’s 11-year-old son and 39 cats that were left unattended inside the cargo area of the truck, appearing to be in significant distress from the magnified effects of the day’s high heat,” a police statement said, reported Modbee.

According to police Lt. Joe Carrillo, the child was sent to Child Protective Services, which placed him in protective custody and the cats were taken to Oakdale Animal Shelter.

Police said Gusman also has a 16-year-old daughter but they did not have any information if she was also in the cargo at that time. There were clothes and other items inside the truck so Guman might be in between residences, said Oakdale police Public Information Officer Janeen Yates.

The children’s aunt was also staying with them at the motel and was taken into police custody. The officers released her since there was no evidence to link her to the crime, said Carrillo.

According to public records, Gusman was recently living on Boston Way in northeast Modesto with her son and daughter.​ Neighbors said the family kept to themselves and were baffled to see so many cats coming out of the house when the family was shifting.

According to the court records, Gusman has an outstanding case of alleged violations of the state Education Code related to the habitual truancy of a student in 2017. The police asked anyone with additional information in the case to call Detective Don Stilwell at 209-847-2231 while they continue to investigate the incident.