California Woman Arrested for Allegedly Running Over Puppy
Hahn Nguyen, 75, faces animal cruelty and abandonment charges after surveillance footage showed the incident.
A 75-year-old California woman has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and abandonment after allegedly running over a 9-month-old Pitbull puppy with her minivan. The incident occurred on September 8 in Santa Ana, Orange County.
According to Santa Ana Police, surveillance footage captured Hahn Nguyen of Anaheim sitting in her Honda Odyssey. The video shows Nguyen opening the driver's side door, letting the puppy out, and then sprinkling dog food near the front left tire. As the puppy approached the food, Nguyen slowly drove forward, running over the animal with the rear tire. The vehicle remained on top of the puppy for 15 seconds before Nguyen drove away.
Police responded to the scene after a passerby discovered the dead puppy. Investigators utilized license plate reader technology to identify Nguyen, who was arrested the day after police sought public assistance in identifying the minivan involved.
During questioning, Nguyen reportedly admitted to abandoning the 9-month-old Pitbull mix, identified as 'Blackey.' She stated that she had become annoyed with the puppy after it bit her boyfriend's shoes and other belongings. However, she did not admit to intentionally running the animal over, according to a police spokesperson.
Nguyen was booked at the Santa Ana Jail. In California, intentionally harming an animal is a felony offense, punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $20,000.
