By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
At the end of February, a brother and sister wanted in
Mesquite, Nev., in the slaying of a 3-year-old girl and the
stabbing of her sister were returned to Nevada to face
prosecution.
The two teenagers face capital murder charges in the
butcher knife attack. They are accused of stabbing and
killing 3-year-old Kristyanna Cowan and leaving her
10-year-old half-sister Brittney Bergeron paralyzed from the
waist down.
Shortly before the decision was made to return Beau
Maestas, 19, to Nevada to face charges in the murder of the
child and in the stabbing of the sister, he told 4th
District Judge Donald Eyre during a hearing that he would no
longer fight extradition.
Monique Maestas, 16, waived extradition one week
earlier.
Gov. Mike Leavitt had signed a warrant to return Beau
Maestas to Nevada.
After providing Maestas and his attorney, Randy
Kester, with a copy of the governor's warrant, Judge Eyre
asked if Maestas still planned to fight extradition.
"Your honor, we do not. We intend to comply with the
warrant," Kester said.
Eyre then ordered Kester to contact Nevada authorities
to transport both brother and sister.
That was accomplished in short order and the two teens
were turned over to Mesquite police for the 5 1/2-hour trip
to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.
The Maestases were held in the Juab County Jail from
the time they were arrested Jan. 22 until they were released
to Nevada authorities.
Kristyanna Cowan and Brittney Bergeron were attacked
at their Mesquite trailer home while their parents were in a
nearby casino.
Beau Maestas refused to answer questions about the
incident as he was led outside the courthouse past
reporters.
Kester said he had been talking with his client for a
week about fighting extradition.
"Imagine being a 19-year-old being charged with murder
and facing the death penalty for crimes including a
3-year-old girl killed," Kester said. "He's extremely
depressed. He keeps asking me when he will wake up from this
nightmare."
Kester said both brother and sister will be likely be
represented by public defenders in Clark County, Nev.
Kathy Karstedt, aide said the trial may be held in Las
Vegas.
Clark County District Attorney David Roger has said he
may seek the death penalty.
Beau Maestas told police the attack was in retaliation
for a drug deal rip-off involving the girls' mother, Tamara
Bergeron, and her boyfriend, Robert Schmidt.
Beau and Monique Maestas were arrested a few hours
after the attack on Interstate 15, about 260 miles northeast
of Mesquite by alert Utah Highway Patrol Troopers working in
Juab County.
A third teen in the car, Sabrina Bantam, 18, of Salt
Lake City, was questioned but not charged.
"This is going to be an expensive case to prepare and
try," Kester said.
Clark County authorities have been awarded custody of
Brittney, who is recovering at a southern Nevada
rehabilitation center.
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