Extradition near for pair sought in girls’ stabbing

Jen Lawson

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2003 | 9:53 a.m.

An extradition hearing in Utah is scheduled Thursday for the teenage siblings charged with stabbing two girls in Mesquite.

That could bring the pair back to Nevada as soon as Thursday afternoon.

Beau Maestas, 19, had been fighting extradition from Utah to Nevada to face murder charges in the fatal stabbing last month of Kristyanna Cowan, 3, and a stabbing that paralyzed her sister, Brittney Bergeron, 10.

Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt signed Beau Maestas' extradition warrant on Tuesday. A Utah judge will decide Thursday if Beau Maestas should be sent back to Nevada, Juab County Attorney Jared Eldridge said.

Maestas could delay matters by filing a writ of habeas corpus, which would challenge the governor's warrant, but Eldridge said he didn't think that would happen.

"My understanding is that Beau isn't going to seek a writ of habeas corpus, so probably tomorrow is going to be the end of our involvement," Eldridge said. "Nevada authorities will be able to come and get them whenever they want."

Maestas' 16-year-old sister, Monique, waived extradition last month, clearing the way for Nevada authorities to bring her back, but Mesquite Deputy Police Chief Joe Szalay said he planned to bring the pair to Nevada at the same time.

Beau and Monique Maestas face charges of murder and attempted murder in the Jan. 22 knife attack in a Mesquite RV park. Authorities believe the attack was sparked by a bogus drug deal between Beau Maestas and the girls' mother, Tammy Bergeron, and her boyfriend, Robert Schmidt.

This week Szalay said Mesquite Police are investigating Tammy Bergeron's parenting habits. The stabbing occurred while Tammy Bergeron and Schmidt were playing slot machines in the CasaBlanca casino next door, and she could be facing child endangerment charges for leaving the girls alone.