Anaheim Woman Arrested For Crushing Puppy With Minivan

A 75-year-old woman from Anaheim has been arrested for killing a nine-month-old Pitbull puppy with her minivan last month. The incident happened in Santa Ana, Orange County, on September 8. Outdoor surveillance footage clearly shows Hahn Nguyen inside her Honda Odyssey parked at 926 W. Park Lane.

Nguyen opened the driver's side door to let the dog out. She then sprinkled dog food near the front left tire of the car. The video captures the moment the puppy approached the bait. Nguyen slowly drove forward until the rear driver's side tire ran over the animal. The vehicle stayed on top of the dead puppy for 15 seconds before she sped away, police stated.

Someone found the crushed body on the ground and called authorities. Police responded immediately to the scene. They asked the public for help identifying the owner of the minivan shown in the video. A day later, investigators used license plate reader technology to track Nguyen down. She was identified as a resident of Anaheim.

Nguyen admitted she abandoned the dog but did not claim she meant to run it over intentionally. She told detectives she became annoyed after the black-and-white Pitbull mix bit her boyfriend's shoes and other belongings. The dog's name was Blackey. Police say this admission does not excuse the act of cruelty.

She is currently booked at the Santa Ana Jail. Nguyen faces charges of animal cruelty and animal abandonment. Under California law, intentionally harming an animal is a felony. Conviction could lead to imprisonment or a fine of up to $20,000. The case highlights how quickly things can go wrong when privilege blinds someone to their actions.