Texas day care operator indicted on murder charges

HOUSTON – A grand jury has indicted a woman on felony murder charges in the deaths of four children in a fire at her Houston home day care.

Jessica Tata (TAH'-tah) had already been charged with murder for the Feb. 24 fire that also injured three children. A Houston grand jury followed the prosecution's recommendation Wednesday and indicted her on the four murder counts.

The 23-year-old was previously indicted on two counts of reckless injury to a child and three for abandoning a child.

Tata remains jailed on bonds totaling $1.1 million.

Authorities believe she left the children in her care alone while she went shopping and the fire was ignited by a stove-top burner left on.

Tata fled to Nigeria after the fire and was a fugitive for nearly a month.