A 75-year-old Anaheim woman was arrested Thursday, October 1, accused of leaving her 9-month-old puppy on a Santa Ana street and running over it with her minivan. Police say she told them she got rid of the dog because it had been annoying her boyfriend by chewing his shoes. The puppy, a pit bull mix named Blackey, died.
Story Snapshot
- Santa Ana police arrested Hahn Nguyen, 75, of Anaheim on suspicion of animal cruelty and animal abandonment.
- Blackey, a black-and-white pit bull mix, was run over on September 8 and died.
- Police say Nguyen admitted abandoning the dog but did not admit running over him on purpose.
- The case goes to the Orange County district attorney’s office, which decides whether to file charges.
What Police Say the Video Shows
Santa Ana police said a surveillance camera recorded an older blue or green Honda Odyssey stopping near 900 W. Park Lane at about 9:15 a.m. on September 8. Police said the driver put the puppy on the road and set dog food on the ground. The minivan then drove forward, and the rear driver’s-side tire rolled over the dog. Police said the van stayed on top of the puppy for about 15 seconds before it drove away.
Police said Nguyen admitted that Blackey was her dog and that she abandoned him. A department spokesperson, Natalie Garcia, said Nguyen told detectives she left the puppy at a park because it had been annoying her boyfriend by biting his shoes and belongings. Police said Nguyen did not admit that she ran over the dog on purpose. They said she told her boyfriend she thought the dog had been run over, but did not say she was the one who did it.
How Investigators Identified the Suspect
Police made the video public on Wednesday, September 30, and it spread widely. Police identified Nguyen and arrested her the next day in Anaheim. Officers said they found the Honda Odyssey in her garage. She was booked into the Santa Ana Jail. The arrest came a little more than three weeks after the puppy died.
Police booked Nguyen on suspicion of two crimes under the California Penal Code: animal cruelty and animal abandonment. “Booked on suspicion” means police believe they have enough to make an arrest. It is not a formal charge. Under California law, animal cruelty is a “wobbler.” That means prosecutors can file it as a misdemeanor, the lesser kind of crime, or as a felony, the more serious kind.
Why This Case Reached So Many People
The video is at the center of this case. Police say it shows a puppy lured with food and a minivan that rolled forward and stopped on top of him. No one had been arrested for more than three weeks. Then the video went public, and an arrest followed within a day.
Here is what police have confirmed. Blackey was 9 months old. He was Nguyen’s dog, by her own account to police. Police say she gave a reason for leaving him: the chewed shoes. She has not admitted that she meant to run over him, and no court has heard the case.
What Comes Next in the Legal Process
Police said a case is being presented to the Orange County district attorney’s office. Prosecutors there will decide whether to file charges, and whether the cruelty count is filed as a misdemeanor or a felony. Nguyen is accused, not convicted. Until charges are filed and proven in court, the arrest is an allegation.
Sources:
thegatewaypundit.com, latimes.com, sgvtribune.com, nbclosangeles.com
