On Dec. 4, a Minnesota woman who threw a Pit Bull puppy out of a speeding vehicle during a police chase earlier this year was issued a 2-year stayed sentence and 3-year probation sentence, KSTP-TV News reports.
Court documents also show that defendant Raylean Chastity Gurneau has been prohibited from owning any animals.
Gurneau was among four occupants inside a stolen pickup truck that Ramsey County deputies were pursuing on the night of Jan. 30. According to authorities, a man named Donovan Alan Goodman, who was behind the wheel of the speeding truck, led deputies on a chase as he drove on the wrong side of an interstate.
Gurneau, together with another woman and the puppy, were all in the backseat. During such time, one of the rear passenger doors was opened. Then, authorities saw a white puppy tumbling out of the speeding vehicle and rolling onto the road.
In addition to tossing the dog out of a moving car, Gurneau also pleaded guilty to making a fictitious 911 call as the pursuit was happening in an effort to divert the deputies’ attention.
Eventually, deputies were able to disable the stolen truck after performing a PIT maneuver.
Injured puppy eventually euthanized
Authorities said the puppy ran away after hitting the pavement, as per KSTP. Although police were able to find him alive days after the dramatic chase, he suffered a broken leg. Additionally, he sustained several contusions.
Unfortunately, the puppy — whom deputies named “Taho” — had to be euthanized in April. According to the animal shelter that took the animal in, the pup had a tendency to attack other dogs and people. In particular, Taho was bite-prone, despite efforts to rehabilitate him. As a result, the shelter moved to put him down.
The shelter further stated that Tahoe’s aggression was likely due to the abuse he underwent throughout his upbringing.
Arrest of Minnesota woman who threw Pit Bull from vehicle
At the time of the incident, police arrested Gurneau and the other woman on the spot. Goodman and the second man, Chue Feng Yang, immediately fled on foot. Thankfully, authorities later found and arrested Goodman. He was who told investigators that Gurneau was responsible for throwing the helpless Pit Bull puppy out of the car.
Yang, on the other hand, was shot and killed by FBI agents after a lethal standoff in which he “came out of the home, tied together at” the torso with Gurneau, according to KSTP reporting in April. Apparently, “Yang had his sawed-off shotgun pointed at Gurneau’s head,” leaving officers no choice but to shoot him.
At the time of Gurneau’s arrest, authorities also discovered she had previously been convicted of an animal cruelty offense. Records show that in 2022, a canine under her care was found shot nearly 12 times with a BB gun. In the process, the dog’s eye was severely injured and had to be removed surgically.
