Woman sought in Nebraska to be extradicted

Carl Hessler Jr.

The Reporter

NORRISTOWN - A Sioux woman who is wanted by Nebraska authorities on manslaughter-related charges in connection with the death of her foster child and who was found living in the Norristown area will not fight extradition.

Tisha Louise Vega, 34, appeared in a Montgomery County courtroom on Friday and waived her extradition to Dakota County, Neb., to face manslaughter charges there in connection with the death of 20-month-old Nathaniel Saunsoci-Mitchell, a foster child who was in her care in a South Sioux City home near the Omaha Reservation.

"We will advise Nebraska of the waiver and they are now to arrange for her pickup," said Assistant District Attorney Karen G. Ricca, chief of the district attorney's fugitive unit. "She will be held in Montgomery County prison pending pickup from Nebraska. The demanding state comes and picks her up."

Court documents indicate it was Upper Providence police who took Vega into custody on March 23 on a fugitive warrant out of Nebraska.

"Through the grapevine, police received information that a fugitive was in the area and they checked it out," Ricca said. "Montgomery County is not a safe haven for fugitives. If you are a fugitive from another jurisdiction, rest assured we will hunt you down and send you back for trial."

Vega, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, showed no emotion as she appeared before visiting Senior Judge Harold Thompson, who signed an order extraditing Vega to Nebraska.

Vega was taken into custody without incident by Upper Providence authorities about 10:30 a.m. March 23. Court records indicate Vega listed an Egypt Road post office box address when she was apprehended.

Sean Cullen, the local lawyer hired by Vega's family to represent the woman in the extradition matter, said Vega was surprised to learn there was a fugitive warrant for her arrest and that manslaughter charges had been filed against her in Nebraska.

"It was a total surprise. She was employed full-time, paying taxes, earning a living, openly living in the community," said Cullen, indicating Vega was employed as a healthcare worker and lived in the Norristown area with her husband and children for about two years. "They certainly were not hiding."

Cullen claimed Vega left forwarding addresses with a realtor when she left Nebraska. Vega moved her family to the Norristown area, where she has relatives, to avoid the "hostile" environment in which she lived in Nebraska after the foster child's death, Cullen claimed.

Cullen said Nebraska authorities took Vega's biological children away from her during the investigation but that Vega was able to regain custody after a court battle. It was at that time that she moved her family from Nebraska, according to Cullen.

Cullen does not represent the woman in the manslaughter case but did hint at a possible defense to the charges.

"The evidence should show that the child was uncontrollably crying at a baby sitter's residence. My client was called to pick up the child. When she got the child home, the child was already lethargic and tired," Cullen implied. "It was after the child was put to bed that the child didn't awaken."

Vega, according to Cullen, didn't want to fight extradition to Nebraska.

"She's shown a resolve to cooperate with law enforcement and to get back to Nebraska to clear her name," Cullen said.

As she left the courtroom in handcuffs on Friday, Vega turned to a relative in the spectator's gallery and said, "See you tomorrow," possibly referring to a visit she hopes to receive from the relative at the jail.

Nebraska authorities suspect Vega of manslaughter in the death of the foster child who lived with Vega and her husband in their South Sioux City home.

The boy was hospitalized Sept. 22, 2006, with a brain injury and died two days later. An arrest warrant for Vega had been issued months later, but Vega had already left Nebraska.