Jessica Tata, the Nigerian- American woman blamed for the deaths of four small infants under her care at a home daycare center, has been formally indicted on four counts of murder.
The 23 yr old Houston resident was extradited from Nigeria on March 21st after she fled to Port Harcourt to avoid arrest following a fatal fire in her home based daycare.
Tata, allegedly left seven children in her care unattended as she went to a Target store nearby. The fire was started after she left a pot of oil heating up on the stove.
In his court testimony during the grand jury trial, Ronald Tata, Jessica’s brother, said that she decided to flee the country after they both met with a lawyer and discussed her criminal liability. He also confessed in aiding his sister by driving her to the airport in Dallas and giving her $800 for a plane ticket to Nigeria.
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It is still unknown if he will also face charges for aiding Tata in her escape.
According to ABC News in March, Tata 26, was accused by prosecutors of the case, of establishing a business, the Houston Benefit of Daycare Victims, to raise funds for the victims of the fire. They accused him of trying to exploit from the grieving families.
Tata charged back saying that he started the business along with other family members and his church as a way to help out the affected families with funeral and medical expenses.
If convicted, Tata faces a prison sentence of life imprisonment following charges of child endangerment. She is also facing two counts of reckless injury to a child and three counts of child abandonment.
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