Woman charged with animal cruelty after throwing puppy out of speeding vehicle during chase

A woman suspected of throwing a pit bull puppy out of a window during a January police chase through Ramsey County is charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty, among other charges.

Raylean Chastity Gurneau, 26, was charged in Ramsey County District Court Monday with several counts, including fleeing police in a motor vehicle, four counts of animal cruelty — one of them a felony— and placing a fake 911 call in connection with the Jan. 30 chase. A pit bull puppy was thrown from a pickup truck during the chase, and shivered for hours in subzero weather until deputies rescued him from a snowy freeway embankment the next morning. Deputies named him Tahoe, and he was treated for a broken leg and other injuries. Veterinary costs for Taho's injuries totaled more than $15,000, and he is being cared for by a dog rescue and rehabilitation organization as he recovers from physical and emotional abuse, according to the Ramsey County Attorney's office.

According to the complaint:

A deputy with the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office pursued a Ford pickup truck at 10:54 p.m. after it ran past a red light. The deputy turned on their emergency lights and police siren, but the pickup drove faster — merging the wrong way into interstate traffic.

Other deputies were sent to Interstate 35E and Little Canada Road around that time for a 911 call. The caller, who identified themselves as "Melissa," said they had been carjacked and that someone was shot. But "Melissa's" call disconnected several times, and police found nobody when responding to the location of the alleged carjacking and shooting.

Deputies who continued following the Ford pickup truck watched as the vehicle drove around stop sticks and continued into wrong way traffic. When law enforcement prepared to stop the truck by blocking it with a PIT maneuver, documents say that the back passenger door opened and someone threw a small white dog into the roadway in front of squad cars.

Police stopped the truck using the PIT maneuver after the dog was thrown out. Two men got out of the truck and fled on foot, carjacking two nearby vehicles at gunpoint to drive away.

While Goodman and the other suspect fled, deputies arrested Gurneau and another woman who has not yet been charged inside of the truck. Gurneau was given multiple doses of Narcan after showing signs of an overdose, and was transported to Regions Hospital.

Law enforcement investigating the scene found that the pickup truck had incorrect license plates and was stolen. Inside, they found a cell phone, wallet, photos and a backpack containing 189 grams of methamphetamine. Charges say that the cell phone was connected to Goodman, and was the same number used earlier that night to make a 911 report as "Melissa."

Goodman later admitted to driving the stolen truck, saying that Gurneau placed the fake 911 call from the backseat. He also said that Gurneau snorted fentanyl in the backseat during the pursuit, throwing the dog "Tahoe" out even though the escaped suspect told her not to.

"She admitted using a cell phone to call 911 in order to divert law enforcement resources from the pursuit by saying she had been carjacked and shot," the charging documents said. "After listening to one of the 911 calls during the interview, Gurneau admitted she was 'Melissa.'"