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Nearly 7 Years After Fleeing to Native Peru, Vehicular Homicide Suspect Jailed in Bucks County on $5M Bail

Nelio Sotomayor-Sanchez is accused of causing a December 2010 head-on crash that left Sheree Maillie dead

Nearly seven years after a vehicular homicide suspect escaped to his native Peru, he sits behind bars in suburban Philadelphia on $5 million bail. Nelio Sotomayor-Sanchez is accused of causing a head-on crash that happened just days before Christmas.

Authorities arrested Sotomayor-Sanchez, 46, earlier this year in Lima, Peru. On Tuesday, U.S. Marshals accompanied him back to the United States to face charges in the 2010 death of a Newtown Township woman.

Sheree Maillie, a 55-year-old teacher's aide, died when Sotomayor-Sanchez's Volkswagen Beetle crossed a double-yellow line while attempting to pass another vehicle along Woodburne Road in Middletown Township on Dec. 23, 2010, according to a criminal complaint. He struck Maillie's Chrysler PT Cruiser head on, authorities said. She died a short time later.

Sotomayor-Sanchez did not have a license at the time of the crash, police said.

He was taken to a nearby medical center and treated for non-life threatening injuries. Just days after leaving the hospital, Sotomayor-Sanchez moved to Tampa, Florida, authorities said.

A day after being charged in Bucks County court in February 2011, Sotomayor-Sanchez flew to Colombia and then home to Peru despite facing several charges, including homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and causing a deadly accident while driving without a license.

Court documents suggest Sotomayor-Sanchez was aware of these charges when he fled to South America, police said. He was later charged with unlawful international flight to avoid prosecution. 

On Tuesday, Judge Diane Gibbons set Sotomayor-Sanchez's bail at $5 million. He is due to go on trial on Dec. 11, according to court documents.

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