Northern Star Online: Rochelle woman faces animal cruelty charges and psychiatric evaluations

The Rochelle woman facing animal cruelty charges has been sent to a Dixon hospital for psychiatric evaluations.

Barbara Munroe, 65, was charged with eight counts of animal cruelty and two counts of failure of duty of a companion animal owner.

A court order was placed to have Munroe moved to Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital on Tuesday for the evaluations, said Lee County Sheriff John Varga.

A judge will determine if Munroe is fit to stand trial for the charges she is facing.
There is no timetable for when she will leave the hospital.