UPDATE : November 26 at 3:00 p.m.

Rebecca Howard, 48, identified by WSP as the driver in the DUI crash on Monday, is also facing charges related to animal cruelty from 2021, according to Trooper Daniel Mosqueda.

Court documents reveal that Howard is charged with 16 counts of animal cruelty. This includes two first-degree animal cruelty charges, classified as felonies, and 14 second-degree animal cruelty charges, considered gross misdemeanors.

According to a release by the Attorney General’s Office, Howard helped manage the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter as director of the Neo’s Nation Animal Foundation when allegations of abuse and neglect arose in 2021.

The AG's office said a search warrant executed at the shelter revealed malnourished dogs and crates of cats and kittens, many severely

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