AUSTIN, Texas — A fugitive mother and son have been arrested and deported back to the U.S. after fleeing to Mexico in 2016 following a manslaughter charge.
Thomas Bernal, 25, is charged with manslaughter and failure to render aid following an incident that occurred in July 2016 in the 13200 block of Maria Lane in Manor.
Bernal is alleged to have driven away from the scene of an accident in his black Cadillac, with a man, 19-year-old Devon Sanders, hanging from his vehicle. Sanders sustained serious injuries and died on the scene.
Bernal's mother, 51-year-old Debra Bernal, was charged in October 2016 with evidence tampering, as she was believed to have assisted with her son's escape.
The Manor Police Department requested assistance from the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force's Austin division in November 2016, in an attempt to locate and arrest the pair, who were believed to have escaped to Mexico.
After nearly seven years on the run, the mother and son were arrested on May 16 by Mexican authorities. They were deported back into the U.S. via the port of entry in Hidalgo County.
They are both being housed at the Hidalgo County Jail in Edinburg, Texas, with impending extradition to Travis County.