Rep Jackson Lee Urges Return of DUI Killer

The Justice Department has been called upon by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee to "use all measures to secure and return" 25 year-old Sajan Tamalshina, to the U.S. from Nepal, to face murder charges stemming from a fatal DUI.

As reported by Fox News, the Nepalese student, Tamalshina, has been accused of killing three teenagers in a drunken driving accident and then fleeing Jackson Lee's district for Nepal.  He was in the U.S. on a student visa.

The Texas Democrat, aware that the United States doesn't have an extradition agreement with Nepal, wants the Justice Department to "wake up and do something," as "obviously, we have three dead teenagers that didn't need to lose their lives to a drunk driver."

After Jackson complained on the House floor last week, U.S. officials have begun to make inquiries.  The county's district attorney, State Department and the U.S. Marshall's office, are working together to track down Tamalshina's movement in Nepal.

In Lee's speech she contended that, "The U.S. Marshal needs to stop hiding from my office and get over to my office to discuss why you can't do something.  You can engage in diplomatic dialogue. You can ask the country of Nepal to be able to work with you to return this individual. He will not be getting the death sentence. Maybe 60 years. You are leaving crying parents with no justice because you let someone go."

Authorities report that Tamalshina ran his car through a red light and crashed into an SUV that carried seven passengers - five teenagers and two adults.  Three of the teenagers, one 17 year-old and two 13 year-olds, died shortly after the accident.

Houston police initially released Tamalshina at the scene.  He had admitted to drinking and they wanted to test his blood alcohol before his arrest.  Now police admit that they had enough evidence to arrest him at the scene.

Tamalshina's blood alcohol level proved nearly twice the legal limit.  When the district attorney decided to charge him with the three counts of manslaughter, he had already left the country.

Toshiya Davis, the mother of one of the 13-year-olds killed, said that she hadn't heard from local or state officials about any effort to return Tamalshina to the states. 

"I really don't know what they're doing at this time to get him back, but my thought on it is they should have never released him.  I just really think they dropped the ball. I don't feel like they did their job. My thing is, at least let me know what's going on. They're not telling us anything."

In her efforts, Jackson Lee told the House, "I am calling on the Justice Department and the attorney general of the United States to recognize that they are here to protect the people of the United States, and these three dead teenagers are in need of their protection in their loss, and their families want justice. I am asking for the U.S. Marshal to show up and work with us to do something on behalf of these Americans and these families that are mourning."

Jackson Lee's office contends that she received a letter from Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich that said the department was making efforts to bring Tamalshina back.

Jackson Lee vows to continue pressing for further action until she feels satisfied that Tamalshina will face U.S. justice.

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