UPDATE:
Family members told 23ABC that Wendy Howard bailed out Wednesday night. Her bail was reportedly reduced from a $1 million to $500,000. She is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
ORIGINAL:
Tuesday began the preliminary hearing for Wendy Howard, the Tehachapi female who has been accused of the shooting and killing of her ex-boyfriend, 57-year-old Kelly Rees Pitts.
Howard's family has been actively protesting and supporting her innocence since her arrest in June including Nicole Koch, her daughter-in-law.
"We love our mom," said Koch.
Howard is said to be a mother of seven and a grandmother to seven.
"He was not a good person and she is," Koch said. "There are so many facts that we could prove that and that’s why we were out here to show her, the county, the people our support."
Howard was arrested for first-degree murder for shooting Pitts in their neighborhood in Tehachapi on June 5th.
On Tuesday, a hearing was held to determine whether there’s enough evidence to go to trial in this case.
It began with a courtroom filled with her family. The judge would not allow 23ABC’s cameras to roll during the proceeding.
The family throughout the hearing could be seen tearing up especially during the playing of a 911 call. The call was made by Miranda Frost, Howard's eldest daughter just three days before the shooting.
The call was regarding an allegation that Pitts had been sexually assaulting her younger sister.
Both defense and the prosecution presented their evidence and questioned witnesses from the Tehachapi Police Department.
One of the witnesses, from the Tehachapi Police Department, shared that the day the 911 call was made Howard told them her feelings about the alleged abuse.
"She wanted to go down there and handle it herself and did not appear upset just frustrated," the witness explained. Howard felt that nothing would be done due to past circumstances referring to Frost's past alleged sexual abuse by Pitts.
The defense countered this by focusing on the past domestic violence allegations and detailed the open investigation against Pitts on sexual abuse with his daughter.
"I would love to see her charges completely dropped," Frost said. "I would love to see the judge hear the alleged evidence against her and understand the situation for what it really is."
The hearing is scheduled to resume on Wednesday at 9 a.m.
