Coachella Woman Deborah Culwell ID’d As Suspect Caught Tossing Newborn Puppies In Dumpster

COACHELLA, CA. (THECOUNT) — Deborah Sue Culwell has been identified as the woman caught on video tossing a bag of newborn puppies near a dumpster in Coachella, California, last week. She was arrested on Monday.

Police arrested Culwell, 54, outside her Coachella home, according to Riverside County Animal Services spokesperson John Welsh.

Culwell could face up to seven counts of felony animal cruelty, Welsh said.

Culwell was seen in the video leaving the seven newborn puppies in a plastic bag near a dumpster behind a NAPA Auto Parts store on Thursday afternoon, according to Riverside County Animal Services.

The puppies survived and are being lovingly cared for by officials. The animals will require being bottle fed for some time if they are expected to survive.

Commander Chris Mayer with animal services said he was building an animal cruelty case against the woman with the help of the Riverside County Sheriff’s office and the District Attorney’s office, reports WGNTV.

Culwell is currently being housed at the Indio jail.

Geo quick facts: Coachella is a city in Riverside County, California; it is the easternmost city in the region known as the Coachella Valley. It is 28 miles east of Palm Springs, 80 miles east of Riverside, and 130 miles east of Los Angeles – Wikipedia.