Californian woman charged with federally crushing puppy to death

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 00:44 · Archive

A 75-year-old Anaheim woman faces federal animal cruelty charges after allegedly luring a pit bull puppy beneath her minivan with food and running it over in September.

Hanh Minh Nguyen, 75, of Anaheim, faces federal charges of animal crushing, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. She also faces state animal cruelty charges in Orange County Superior Court.

Prosecutors say surveillance video obtained by investigators shows a woman releasing a black-and-white pit bull puppy from a Honda Odyssey minivan in September. The video allegedly shows the woman dropping food near the driver's door and gesturing for the puppy to approach. As the vehicle moved forward, its rear tyre ran over the animal. The driver stopped with the vehicle resting on the puppy for about 15 seconds before leaving.

An examination found the puppy died from a crushed skull. Federal officials say the animal suffered greatly in the minutes after the alleged crushing. An autopsy also found evidence that the puppy was suffering from an intestinal blockage from a large quantity of pistachio shells that likely occurred within the last 72 hours of its life. Police arrested Nguyen on 1 October. When questioned, Nguyen told police the vehicle was hers but said the dog had been hit by a car and died a month prior, denying she had hit a dog with her vehicle.

How it is being reported

• California woman accused of deliberately running over 9-week-old puppyA 75-year-old woman in California faces federal charges after allegedly luring a 9-week-old puppy beneath her minivan with food and running it over.UPI · 1 Nov, 00:28
• Sinister twist for SoCal woman accused of luring puppy under minivan and crushing it to deathA woman who allegedly lured a pit bull puppy underneath a van before crushing it to death is facing the music — from the feds.New York Post · 30 Oct, 20:43

In this story: Hanh Minh Nguyen · Anaheim · Orange County

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log