HOUSTON—The Harris County District Attorney announced that nine additional charges will be filed against day care operator Jessica Renee Tata in connection with the fatal fire that killed four children last week.
The DA also responded to accusations from members of the Houston Fire Department that her office did not act quickly enough to keep the 22-year-old from fleeing to Nigeria.
“I am deeply disappointed that certain people have chosen to cast blame in the media. These statements are unprofessional and they are counterproductive. What we need to do is to have Miss Tata in custody,” said Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos.
“There have been other suggestions that we could have authorized an investigatory hold. Ladies and gentlemen there is no such thing under the law as an investigative hold. We do not live in a police state. Our staff conducted itself professionally and appropriately. This is such a horrible tragic case. But the rule of law still applies.”
The DA also released a timeline of the series of events that led to the first charge of Reckless Injury to a Child against Tata.
The day after the fire the DA’s office was informed there was a “conflict among witnesses” as to whether Tata was the only adult present at the time of the fire.
When charges were filed on Sunday by an assistant district attorney, a magistrate found the probable cause statement to be “insufficient.” A new probable cause affidavit was drafted Monday and the statement of probable cause was accepted by the magistrate.
By Monday sources confirmed that Jessica Tata, a native Houstonian, was already in Nigeria, trip consisting of a series of flights that takes at least 24 hours to complete.
Tata is now among hundreds of federal fugitives being sought by the U.S. Marshals Service. In 2010, U.S. Marshals apprehended 385 international fugitives and completed 492 formal extraditions.
Court documents also indicate that surveillance video from a Target store less than a mile from the daycare show Jessica Tata entering the store and leaving 15 minutes later the day of the fire.
When the first 911 call came in around 1:30 p.m., prosecutors say Tata had been gone from the home daycare for at least 20 minutes.
When she returned to the home with the fire already in progress, a witness reported her as saying “Oh no, I was the only one there today.”
When the witness told Tata everything was going to be OK, she said “Oh no, the fire was going for a long time.”
The District Attorney also issued a warning about the victim fund established by the Tata family. Ronald Houston Tata, the brother of Jessica Tata, filed documents Monday to establish a business called “Houston Benefit of Day Care Victims.”
“Mr. Tata could best serve the public in helping authorities locate and secure the return of Jessica Tata,” the District Attorney said in warning the public to be careful about any and all solicitations.
