Anaheim woman, 75, accused in Santa Ana puppy death now faces state and federal charges

Santa Ana police on Oct. 1 arrested Hanh Minh Nguyen, 75, of Anaheim, in the death of a pit bull mix puppy that was run over on a Santa Ana street on Sept. 8, according to police and the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Police say Nguyen admitted to owning and abandoning the dog, a black-and-white male named Blackey. She was booked on suspicion of animal cruelty and animal abandonment. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

What police say happened

Around 9:15 a.m. on Sept. 8, near 900 W. Park Lane, the driver of an older blue or green Honda Odyssey with a roof rack allegedly used dog food to lure the puppy to the spot where she ran it over, police said. According to the DA's office, surveillance video from a nearby home shows a woman placing the puppy under the minivan and driving forward as the puppy went toward food set near the driver's door.

The driver appeared to stop on the puppy for about 15 seconds before driving north on Lowell Street, ABC7 reported, citing police. A neighbor told investigators a woman in a minivan had run the dog over on purpose. Police posted the video on social media and, on Sept. 30, asked the public for help identifying the driver.

How detectives found the van

Detectives used automated license plate reader technology to identify the minivan and trace it to Anaheim, police said. When officers arrested Nguyen there on Oct. 1, they found the van in her garage.

State charges

On Oct. 2, the Orange County District Attorney's Office announced it had charged Nguyen with one felony count of animal cruelty and one felony count of animal abuse by a caretaker. Prosecutors also added a felony enhancement alleging she used a weapon, the vehicle, to kill the animal. She posted $20,000 bail and was released from custody, the DA's office said.

"This act of violence not only ended the life of an innocent puppy, but it also inflicted trauma on every single person who came across the video footage of the murder of an animal," District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in the release.

Police described Blackey as 9 months old. The DA's release says the puppy was 9 weeks old.

Federal charge

Federal prosecutors filed a separate charge on Oct. 29, accusing Nguyen of one count of animal crushing under the federal Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, NBC Los Angeles and FOX 11 reported. The felony carries a maximum of seven years in federal prison. The FBI is investigating the federal case alongside Santa Ana police, FOX 11 reported.

According to the Justice Department, as cited by NBC Los Angeles, an autopsy found the puppy died of severe head injuries and was alive for several minutes afterward. "Luring a defenseless puppy with food only to crush him beneath a vehicle is an act of appalling cruelty," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said.

What’s next

Nguyen's state case was scheduled for Nov. 2 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana, Department C55, according to the DA's office; Juice Unlocked could not confirm the outcome of that date. In the federal case, she is expected to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana in the coming weeks, according to NBC Los Angeles and FOX 11.