K9 officer laid to rest after handler leaves him in hot car

SAN JUAN, Texas – Police in San Juan, Texas said a final farewell to one of their department's K-9 officers Monday morning in a special memorial service.

Dozens of people, including several officers from nearby police departments, attended the services to honor Officer Rex, who died after being left in his handler's car.

"He was a huge, huge part of our team. He has been to approximately 32 operations out of all the operations we've done. So that's why it's a tremendous loss for us, said San Juan Police Chief Juan Gonzalez.

[See also: Last surviving 9/11 search and rescue dog laid to rest in Cy-Fair]

Officer Rex's former handler, Juan Luis Cerrillo Jr., was not present during the memorial services. Cerrillo was suspended without pay, pending an internal and criminal investigation.

[See also: Texas officer charged after police dog dies in hot car]

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