A 22-year old Nigerian girl has fled the United States of America after fire killed four kids at a daycare centre where she works.

The girl, Jessica Tata, the operator of a Houston home day care centre was charged Monday with reckless injury to a child. She fled to Nigeria after being charged, the Houston Fire Department confirmed.

Authorities said the department has asked the U.S. Marshal’s Office to intervene to have Jessica Tata extradited back to Houston, reports CBS affiliate KHOU.

Tata was charged after the fire killed four children and injured three others at the day care last week, the Harris County district attorney’s office confirmed Sunday.

A warrant was issued for Tata’s arrest Sunday and bond was set at $500,000. She apparently fled hours later.

Tata is charged in connection with the death of 3-year-old Shomari Dickerson.

If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.
It’s not clear if Tata will face additional charges.

Tata is accused of leaving Shomari and six other toddlers alone at the day care while she went to the grocery store, according to the charging document.

“I’m sorry, no there’s no forgiveness for anyone who makes an income watching children and has an audacity to leave them for one second,” Shomari’s grandmother, Tracy Storms, told KHOU.

Storms believes Tata should face capital murder charges in the case.
Meanwhile, Tata’s family spoke publicly for the first time on Monday.
“Since the accident, my family has never been the same, and I don’t think we’ll be the same because it’s very horrible,” said Josie Tata, Jessica’s mother.

Josie said she hasn’t talked to her daughter since Friday.
Her brother wouldn’t comment on her whereabouts, but said he felt sympathy for the victims.

“We feel very, very bad for what happened to the families,” said Ron Tata.

“We love them and we pray for them every single day. We are opening up a benefit account.”

Investigators believe the fire started in a pot of oil left unattended on the kitchen stove.

Two neighbours told investigators they saw Tata drive up to the day care around 2 p.m. When she opened the front door, smoke poured out and she began screaming for help.

The neighbours also said they saw groceries on the lawn and inside the van.
A source with the Houston Police Department told KHOU they have surveillance video of Tata at a nearby grocery store around the time the fire broke out.

Seven toddlers were pulled from the burning building and rushed to area hospitals. Doctors weren’t able to save Shomari, 20-month-old Elizabeth

Kojah, 20-month-old Kendyll Stradford or 18-month-old Elias Castillo.
Shomari’s 2-year-old sister, MaKayla, is one of two children still hospitalised at Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston. Both remain in critical but stable condition but are showing signs of improvement, a hospital spokeswoman JoAnn Zuniga said Sunday.

No specific information on the children’s injuries was released. However, Dr. David Herndon, the Shriners Hospital chief of staff, said in a statement that “we are very hopeful for full recovery of patients who have these types of injuries.”

http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/houston-daycare-fire-wanted-fbi-nigerian-girl-flees-us

Why did she run?? See how people make things worse for themselves? Who advised the gal?

Kobojunkie:

Why did she run?? See how people make things worse for themselves? Who advised the gal?

How is she worse off? If she is careful, they'll never find her in Nigeria.

Better than possibly facing 20 years in jail in the US, no?

Or what would you have done in her situation?

I thought she is an American citizen, WHy are they calling her Nigerian and not American?

Well, SaharaReporters is Nigerian paper, that could be why.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7452300.html

The girl is as American as they come- even went to High school here in Houston!

Tata is accused of leaving Shomari and six other toddlers alone at the day care while she went to the grocery store, according to the charging document.

she prolly thinks she's still in ajegunle, leaves kids home to buy agege bread.

But this are not your kids, foo. People pay you to sit your azz there and watch their kids, hmm this is why I dont leave my kids at daycare centers. too much ish going on nowadays.

loma:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7452300.html

The girl is as American as they come- even went to High school here in Houston!

nawa for you Nigerians o. If na nobel peace prize she won, even if she'd only spent 1 yr in Nigeria throughout her life, she'd still be considered Nigerian.
But in this situation, ppl are trying to dig up her "American" heritage.

Ileke-IdI:

nawa for you Nigerians o. If na nobel peace prize she won, even if she'd only spent 1 yr in Nigeria throughout her life, she'd still be considered Nigerian.
But in this situation, ppl are trying to dig up her "American" heritage.

Anything evil we reject

On Sunday, after three days of calls between arson investigators and prosecutors, one charge of reckless injury to a child was filed against Tata. But by then, Tata, a U.S. citizen born in Harris County, had already left the country. She boarded a plane to Nigeria in Dallas, one day earlier.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7452300.html


SHe was born in the US so she is a US citizen.

if she had won the Olympic gold would they have said she is Nigerian?

Maurice Edu that plays for US or Gooch Onyewu, How many times do they call them Nigerians

^^^ Like @Ileke-idi asked, if say she be Nigeria, no be claim una go claim am then? Why can't saharaReporters also post that this lady is infact a Nigerian?

She just made her life more difficult by this -- the way I see it . Probably won't be able to leave Nigeria if she is not careful.

Kobojunkie:

^^^ Like @Ileke-idi asked, if say she be Nigeria, no be claim una go claim am then? Why can't saharaReporters also post that this lady is infact a Nigerian?

She just made her life more difficult by this -- the way I see it . Probably won't be able to leave Nigeria if she is not careful.

Goes both ways, so this time, we dash them this one!