Extradition of Mesquite stabbing suspects is in the works

Jen Lawson

Thursday, Jan. 30, 2003 | 9:50 a.m.

Investigators expected to send extradition paperwork to Gov. Kenny Guinn this morning that would force two teenagers charged with the stabbing of two girls in Mesquite last week to return to Nevada.

Beau Maestas, 19, and his sister, Monique Maestas, 16, fled to Utah after Kristyanna Cowan, 3, and Brittney Bergeron, 10, were stabbed in a trailer at the CasaBlanca RV Park in Mequite on Jan. 22. Kristyanna died.

Police allege the motive was revenge after a bogus drug deal.

Investigators are also reviewing casino videotapes that show confrontations that occurred between the teens and the mother of the victims and the woman's boyfriend that are believed to be related to the alleged drug deal.

The teens are charged with murder, attempted murder and related offenses.

Kristyanna Cowan died a few hours after the attack, and Brittney Bergeron is paralyzed from the waist down. Her condition was upgraded to serious Wednesday, University Medical Center spokesman Rick Plummer said.

Lt. Matt Alberto of the Nevada Division of Investigation said Guinn is expected to sign the extradition order within the next week.

The request to extradite the teens to Nevada "is pretty much a formality. These types of requests are very seldom denied," Guinn's spokesman Greg Bortolin said this morning.

Once the order is signed, it will be sent to Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt.

The two suspects will be formally notified of their extradition at a hearing in a Utah court.

Then, Alberto said, "We'll go get 'em."

The process should take several weeks, Alberto said.

The delay gives investigators more time to build a case against the suspects. Investigators have been analyzing the CasaBlanca resort surveillance videotape that shows Beau Maestas and Bobby Schmidt engaged in a shoving match while Monique Maestas looks on.

Schmidt is the boyfriend of Tammy Bergeron, the mother of the victims. Police allege he sold Beau Maestas salt instead of methamphetamine, and Maestas demanded his money back.

Bergeron and Schmidt have denied drugs were involved.

"At one point, Tammy walks past," Alberto said. "You can see there's a verbal exchange between Tammy and Monique. Tammy walks off screen, then Beau and Monique are being talked to by casino security and asked to leave."

That portion of the tape is 30 to 40 seconds, Alberto said.

Another videotape shows the parking lot outside the casino, where Beau and Monique Maestas and another woman, Deserae Towne, can be seen walking across the parking lot to a car, he said. The girls were attacked about 20 minutes later.

"It's a piece of the puzzle," Alberto said. "It's not direct evidence of the attack, but it helps establish a timeline of events and corroborates witness testimony."