75-Year-Old Woman Arrested for Allegedly Abandoning and Killing Puppy

A 75-year-old woman has been arrested following surveillance footage that allegedly shows her luring her puppy with food and running over it with her minivan. Hahn Nguyen was taken into custody on Thursday morning by the Santa Ana Police Department and booked at the Santa Ana Jail on charges of animal cruelty and animal abandonment. Investigators identified Nguyen using Automated License Plate Reader technology, which led them to her residence in Anaheim. Authorities stated that she admitted to owning and abandoning her nine-month-old pit bull named 'Blackey.' The Santa Ana Police Department noted that investigative leads, primarily utilizing ALPR technology, were crucial in identifying the vehicle and locating the suspect. The incident occurred around 9 a.m. on September 8 near 926 W. Park Lane, when a local resident reported seeing the dead pit bull in the street, suspecting it had been intentionally killed. Detectives later recovered home surveillance footage showing a woman arriving in an older-model Honda Odyssey, unloading Blackey, and placing food under the driver’s side of the minivan. As the puppy ate, Nguyen allegedly moved the vehicle, causing the rear driver’s-side tire to roll over the dog. She reportedly kept the car parked on top of the pit bull for approximately 15 seconds before driving away.