A Montana mom of two children named Aryan and Nation was arrested on Friday for killing a 22-year-old Native American woman in a hit-and-run crash in March, authorities said.
Sunny White, 28, was allegedly high on meth and fentanyl when she struck Mika Westwolf, who was walking along Highway 93 near Arlee, according to Lake County Attorney Steve Eschenbacher. White claimed she mistook Westwolf for a deer and did not stop, he said.
White faces charges of negligent homicide, criminal endangerment, tampering with evidence, leaving the scene of an accident, and possession of dangerous drugs. She could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Westwolf’s family had been campaigning for justice and raising awareness of the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Westwolf was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and had a daughter.
“She was just walking home. She didn’t deserve to die like that,” Westwolf’s mother, Mary Lou Westwolf, told The Daily Beast.
“We are grateful for the hard work of law enforcement in bringing this case to justice. We hope this arrest will bring some closure to Mika’s family and friends,” Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Shelly Fyant said in a statement.
“This is not an isolated incident. This is an epidemic of violence against Indigenous women that has been going on for far too long,” Montana Senator Jon Tester said in a tweet.
“She had no regard for human life. She left her there to die. She didn’t even call 911. She just drove away,” Eschenbacher said of White.
“She’s a monster. She took away my sister, my best friend, my everything. She deserves to rot in jail,” Westwolf’s sister, Kayla Westwolf, told the New York Post.
Relevant articles:
– Suspect Arrested Months After Death of Indigenous Montana Woman, The Daily Beast, October 24, 2023
– Mom of kids named Aryan and Nation arrested in hit-and-run death of Native American woman, New York Post, October 24, 2023
– Sunny K. White killed Mika Westwolf: Cops, Law & Crime, October 24, 2023
– Mom of kids named Aryan and Nation was on meth in hit-and-run death of …, Free Republic, October 24, 2023