California Woman, 75, Used Food To Lure Puppy Beneath Minivan Before Allegedly Driving Over It in California

A 75-year-old woman is facing a rare federal 'animal crushing' charge after investigators said surveillance footage shows her using food to lure a puppy beneath her minivan before driving over it in Santa Ana, California.

Hanh Minh Nguyen, of Anaheim, was charged on Thursday, 29 October 2026, following an investigation into the puppy's death on 8 September. She also faces separate animal cruelty charges in Orange County over the same incident.

Police arrested Nguyen on 1 October after identifying a vehicle allegedly captured in surveillance footage. According to the US Department of Justice, the footage and a subsequent examination of the animal's remains underpin the federal complaint. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Footage Shows Puppy's Death Under Minivan

The Orange County District Attorney's Office said Animal Services officers responded to a Santa Ana street at approximately 9.15am on 8 September. They found a dead black-and-white pit bull mix puppy that appeared to have been deliberately struck by a vehicle.

Investigators obtained surveillance footage from a nearby residence showing a woman arriving in a Honda Odyssey minivan. According to the federal affidavit, she opened a vehicle door and released the puppy, which subsequently moved underneath the minivan.

The driver then reopened the door and dropped what appeared to be food near the driver's side, prosecutors said. She allegedly gestured towards the animal, encouraging it to approach the food before moving the vehicle forward.

According to investigators, the minivan's rear driver's-side tyre struck the puppy. Prosecutors allege that the vehicle remained stationary on top of the animal for approximately 15 seconds before the driver left the scene.

An autopsy revealed that the puppy died from a crushed skull that caused complete brain damage. According to the Justice Department, the autopsy indicated that the puppy survived for several minutes after the incident and experienced severe pain before dying.

Authorities have provided conflicting accounts of the puppy's age. The Orange County District Attorney's Office described the animal as nine weeks old in its 2 October announcement.

However, NBC Los Angeles and other police-based reports described the puppy as approximately nine months old. The Justice Department's federal announcement did not specify the animal's age.

State Case Traced Through Licence Plate Technology

The investigation initially resulted in state charges after officers traced the minivan using automated licence plate readers. The Orange County District Attorney's Office said investigators subsequently located Nguyen in Anaheim, where she was arrested on 1 October.

State prosecutors charged Nguyen with one felony count of animal cruelty and one felony count of animal abuse by a caretaker. They also filed a felony sentencing enhancement alleging the personal use of a vehicle as a weapon.

Nguyen was released from custody after posting $20,000 (approximately £14,900 and €17,900) bail. She is scheduled to appear at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana on Monday, 2 November 2026, in proceedings separate from the federal case.

Rare Federal 'Animal Crushing' Charge Under PACT Act

Federal prosecutors announced the additional animal-crushing charge on Friday, 30 October. If convicted, Nguyen faces a statutory maximum sentence of seven years in federal prison. That maximum does not indicate what sentence, if any, would ultimately be imposed.

The charge falls under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, commonly known as the PACT Act. Signed into law by President Donald Trump on 25 November 2019, the legislation established a nationwide prohibition on certain extreme acts of animal cruelty.

First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli described the alleged conduct as 'an act of appalling cruelty'. He said federal authorities would use available legal measures to pursue serious animal abuse allegations.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer also condemned the alleged actions in his office's earlier announcement.

'Violence is not a singular act,' Spitzer said, highlighting the suffering inflicted on animals and the impact on people who witness such incidents.

The FBI is investigating the federal case with assistance from the Santa Ana Police Department. Prosecutors said Nguyen is expected to make her initial appearance in US District Court in Santa Ana in the coming weeks. No specific federal hearing date has been announced.

The charges remain allegations. Nguyen is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.