Federal charges were announced against the woman who allegedly intentionally ran over her puppy with a minivan in Southern California.
An elderly Orange County, California, woman was arrested for dumping a puppy on the street and running over it with a minivan earlier this month.
A Ring camera caught Hahn Nguyen, 75, of Anaheim, pulling over her minivan in a Santa Ana neighborhood, putting her 9-month-old pitbull mix puppy on the pavement, dumping a pile of dog food, and driving off.
As Nguyen drove away, she ran over the puppy, paused as the tire was on top of the dog, and then drove off.
The Santa Ana Police Department used a license plate reader technology to identify and locate Nguyen.
According to the Orange County Register, Nguyen’s boyfriend was annoyed that the puppy was chewing his shoes.
Hahn Nguyen planned to abandon the dog at a park. She allegedly told her boyfriend that the puppy had been run over but didn’t tell him that she ran over the dog.
“Today we are announcing federal charges against Hanh Minh Nguyen, 75, of Anaheim, under the PACT Act for luring a puppy under her minivan with food, then deliberately driving over and killing him,” First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said.
“President Trump signed the 2019 PACT Act into law, expanding previous federal legislation by making severe forms of animal cruelty federal felonies,” Bill Essayli said.
Nguyen is facing seven years in prison on the federal charges.
Today we are announcing federal charges against Hanh Minh Nguyen, 75, of Anaheim, under the PACT Act for luring a puppy under her minivan with food, then deliberately driving over and killing him.
President Trump signed the 2019 PACT Act into law, expanding previous federal legislation by making severe forms of animal cruelty federal felonies.
Nguyen faces up to seven years in federal prison if convicted. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty. https://t.co/FKeu4eyi0U
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) October 30, 2026
Orange County DA Todd Spitzer also charged Hahn Nguyen with felony animal cruelty and felony animal abuse with a felony enhancement for personal use of a weapon, Fox News’ Bill Melugin reported.
“This act of violence not only ended the life of an innocent puppy, but it also inflicted trauma on every single person who came across the video footage of the murder of an animal,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer in a statement to Fox News.
“Violence is not a singular act. It inflicts pain and suffering on those who are subjected to it and on those who witness it. As the elected District Attorney of Orange County, I refuse to accept a society in which violence of any kind is acceptable. Let me be clear that those who engage in violence in Orange County, whether it is against human beings or animals, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent,” Spitzer said.
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