Woman Accused Of Animal Cruelty Dies In Riverside County Custody

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A Sky Valley woman accused of multiple animal cruelty and neglect charges died in custody, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office confirmed Tuesday.

Mary Bernadette Schwenn, 76, faced 10 felony animal cruelty counts, four misdemeanor animal cruelty counts and 20 misdemeanor counts of improper care and attention to animals prior to her death, according to case records.

The 34 counts were dismissed Friday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, Thalia Hayden of the District Attorney's Office told City News Service.

Schwenn was arrested in 2013 and accused of mistreating at least 16 dogs, according to a criminal complaint, which accused her of "willfully and unlawfully subjecting" her pets to various forms of "needless suffering," "unnecessary cruelty" and "abuse."

Case records indicate that the first date for her trial had been scheduled for March 2016, but there were mental health diversions.

The complaint accused the defendant of multiple forms of neglect, alleging she failed to provide the animals with adequate food, water, shelter and protection from the weather, and allowed them to remain in various locations without sufficient care and attention.

At least seven of Schwenn's dogs were impounded over the course of the trial, according to the complaint.