As Jessica Tata prepares to make her first court appearance in a Harris County courtroom on Wednesday afternoon, the people who helped arrest and escort her back to Texas are winning praise from District Attorney Pat Lykos.
Lykos issued a statement commending the International, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies involved in the apprehension of fugitive Jessica Tata and her return to Harris County.
“Tata fled to Nigeria three and a half weeks ago-her arrest and swift arrival back to Houston was the result of the actions of many individuals from many jurisdictions, working diligently to bring her to justice,” said Lykos.
DA Lykos specifically named the following agencies: the United States Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force, the Houston Police Department, the Houston Fire Department, the Department of Public Safety, the United States Department of State, officials from Nigeria, the United States Attorney’s Office, Interpol Washington, Interpol Lagos, the Department of Justice Office of Internal Affairs, the United States National Central Bureau, and the United States Marshals Service
Investigative Operations Division.
Tata has been charged with fourteen felony offenses for leaving seven children unattended as a fire burned in her home daycare facility in February. Four of the children perished in the fire, and three others were injured.
Immediately following her return to Houston on Tuesday, a magistrate in Probable Cause Court declined to set bonds for Tata’s numerous felony cases. She is scheduled to appear in the 180th District Court Wednesday afternoon at 1:30.
Mary Benton Media 