Missouri woman charged in DWI crash that killed three of her children arrested in Texas

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) — A Missouri Bootheel woman accused of driving while intoxicated in a crash that killed three of her children was arrested in Texas, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Kaia Walls, 33, of Hayti, was arrested Oct. 22 in Killeen, Texas, on a warrant issued in New Madrid County.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, the charges stem from a Sept. 25 crash on U.S. 61, about three miles north of Matthews.

Authorities said the crash happened around 9:10 p.m. when an SUV driven by Walls struck the rear of a pickup truck. The SUV then left the roadway and overturned multiple times.

Three of Walls’ children died in the crash.

Walls received medical treatment following the crash but later fled Missouri, according to authorities.

Missouri State Highway Patrol investigators determined Walls was with her father in Killeen, Texas, and requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

U.S. marshals in Cape Girardeau contacted their counterparts in Waco, Texas, who arrested Walls without incident.

According to the arrest warrant, Walls faces the following charges:

– Three counts of second-degree murder
– One count of first-degree assault
– 13 counts of armed criminal action
– Three counts of driving while intoxicated resulting in death
– Two counts of driving while intoxicated resulting in serious physical injury
– Four counts of endangering the welfare of a child

“I want to commend the Missouri State Highway Patrol on their investigation and allowing the Marshals to assist in this arrest,” said Steven Lewis, U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Walls is expected to be extradited to Missouri to face the charges.

The charges are allegations, and Walls is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.