OAKLAND TWP (WWJ) -- A woman believed to have struck and killed a young man while driving in Oakland Township at the start of the year has been located and brought back to the U.S. after leaving the country for Thailand.
Tubtim "Sue" Howson, 57, is currently in custody awaiting a Tuesday detention hearing that would clear the way for her return to Michigan to face both state and federal charges.
The defendant is accused of the hit-and-run death of 22-year-old Michigan State University student Benjamin Kable and has also been charged with fleeing the country to avoid prosecution.
If Howson is convicted on either charge, she could spend up to five years in prison. A conviction on either charge carries up to five years in prison.
Investigators allege that Howson was the driver of the vehicle that ran into Kable -- a Shelby Township resident -- while he was either standing or walking on Rochester Rd, south of Whims in Oakland Twp just before 6 a.m. on New Year's Day.
Though the suspect fled the scene after the crash, police obtained a description of the car and the driver, who was described as a female of Asian descent. An unspecified tip later led detectives to identify Howson as the supposed driver.
A dual citizen of the U.S. and Thailand, Howson flew to Bangkok on Jan. 3. With help from the FBI and Thai law enforcement, Howson was eventually located, arrested and extradited to the U.S.
"We appreciate the assistance of the authorities in Thailand and are working closely with our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office to return this defendant to Michigan so that she can be held accountable for her actions," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a press release.
The Sheriff's office will provide more information on her return to Michigan after Tuesday's hearing.
