Man Charged In Fatal Woodbourne Road Crash Apprehended Six Years Later In Peru

A man who fled the country after being charged in connection with a fatal accident that killed a Newtown woman has been apprehended six years later.

The Bucks County District Attorney's office has announced that Nelio Sotomayor-Sanchez, 46, was arrested earlier this month in Lima. He is expected to be returned to Bucks County to face charges in the Dec. 23, 2010, death Sheree Maillie.

Sotomayor-Sanchez is charged with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, causing a fatal accident while driving without a license and other offenses.

Maillie, 55, a teacher’s aide at Newtown Middle School, was killed when a Volkswagen Beetle driven by Sotomayor-Sanchez struck her PT Cruiser head-on on Woodbourne Road in Middletown Township. Authorities believe Sotomayor-Sanchez was attempting to pass another car illegally over a double-yellow line when the crash happened.

After the crash, Sotomayor-Sanchez was treated for injuries at St. Mary Medical Center, where he was interviewed by Middletown Township police, authorities say.

After being discharged, he moved to Tampa, Florida and was aware of the charges that would be filed against him, according to information from the District Attorney's office.

The crash-related charges against Sotomayor-Sanchez were filed on Feb. 25, 2011. A day later, he boarded a plane in Miami, Florida, and flew to Bogota, Colombia. He then flew from Bogota to Lima, Peru, according to federal court documents.

On May 10, 2011, the FBI charged Sotomayor-Sanchez in federal court with unlawful international flight to avoid prosecution. That charge is pending in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.

In an interview with Newtown Patch in April 2011, Maillie's family expressed frustration that Sotomayor-Sanchez was able to leave the country before being charged.

“It seems we can’t move on,” widower Mike Maillie said nearly six years ago. “We’re stuck in limbo. My day is consumed with this. We’re all consumed with this. It doesn’t end. Death is bad enough, however it happens. But you sort of have a chance to move on. We feel like we can’t move on. We don’t get any straight answers from anyone.”

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office is working with the United States Department of Justice in seeking his extradition for prosecution.