Former Susanville residents face felony and misdemeanor animal abuse charges

Former Susanville residents Aaron Lee Tidwell and Mary Ann Elizabeth Hood face criminal animal abuse charges.

According to the Lassen County District Attorney’s Office, a complaint was filed Aug, 16, 2022, alleging 10 counts of felony animal abuse and 10 counts of misdemeanor sexual contact with an animal. Arrest warrants for both defendants were issued on Aug. 18. Law enforcement in Jefferson County, Idaho, located Tidwell and Hood on Nov. 14, 2022 and arrested them on the warrants. The defendants refused to waive extradition, therefore, our office sought and obtained a Governor’s Warrant in order to extradite them, delaying their return to Lassen County by months.

California Governor Gavin Newsom authorized our extradition Jan. 20, 2023, and the packet was then sent to Attorney General in Idaho. Hood and Tidwell were made available for pick up this week, and correctional staff from the Lassen County Adult Detention Facility traveled to Idaho to pick up the defendants. They were arraigned this afternoon at 4 p.m., where the court set bail for Tidwell at $30,000 and released \Hood on her own recognizance and a promise to appear at the next court date.

The preliminary hearing for both defendants is scheduled for March 15, 2023.

As with all criminal defendants, the charges are only allegations at this time, and they are presumed not guilty until they plead or proven otherwise.