Hanh Minh Nguyen, 75, of Anaheim, California, has been charged with killing a nine-month-old pit bull puppy that she allegedly ran over on purpose. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the woman lured the animal under her minivan and then drove off, inflicting fatal injuries. The senior citizen faces federal charges and up to 7 years in prison.
The incident took place in September 2026 in Santa Ana, California. Local police received a report about a dead black-and-white pit bull puppy whose injuries indicated it had been deliberately struck. During the investigation, officers secured video showing a woman driving a Honda Odyssey minivan. The footage shows the 75-year-old opening the vehicle’s door and letting out a dog, which then goes under the car.
According to the case file, the woman then opened the door again and dropped food onto the roadway, after which she beckoned the animal with a wave of her hand to come toward the bait. She then drove forward, running over the puppy with the rear wheel of her minivan. The woman stopped the vehicle while the tire was pinning the animal, leaving the car motionless for about 15 seconds, and then drove away from the scene.
An autopsy was performed on the dead dog and showed that the direct cause of death was a crushed skull and total brain damage. According to the Department of Justice, the animal did not die instantly. “The autopsy showed that the puppy lived for several minutes after this traumatic incident and suffered severe pain before dying,” the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Nguyen was arrested on Oct. 1 in Anaheim. In an interview with investigators, she reportedly admitted that she had owned a 9-month-old pit bull named “Blackey,” which she had “abandoned.”
On Thursday, the 75-year-old was charged with a federal count of intentionally causing the death of an animal. Separately from the federal case, she is also answering to the Orange County Superior Court for several other offenses, including animal cruelty.
Editor: JŁ
