MISSOULA — A 28-year-old woman was arrested on Friday in Flathead County in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash near Arlee last March.
Sunny Kathrinne White, 28, has been booked in Flathead County on an extra-jurisdiction warrant.
Lake County Sheriff Don Bell confirmed Saturday morning that the warrant is out of Lake County for the death of Mika Westwolf.
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Westwolf was struck and killed by a vehicle on March 31 near the intersection of White Coyote Road and Highway 93 in the Arlee area.
Her death has been an active investigation in Lake County for the past seven months, according to Sheriff Bell.
"We were working with Flathead County to get her picked up," Bell said Saturday morning. "We'll extradite her to Lake County probably Monday morning. There's a chance it could happen today."
Once in Lake County, White is expected to be arraigned on charges related to Westwolf's case.
Due to MTN News policy, we will not post a mugshot until official charges have been filed.
In the months after her death, Westwolf's family created the Mika Matters Movement to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) and to call for justice in her case.
The family released a statement Friday night that said in part:
"As we mark seven months since Mika's tragic passing, it is essential to acknowledge that this arrest is just the beginning of the journey towards justice. The fight to seek accountability, raise awareness, and protect the lives of Indigenous people and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives remains an ongoing battle. Our hearts go out to the families who are still searching for their loved ones, and we remain deeply saddened by the fact that Native Americans continue to go missing at an alarming rate. The urgency to address this issue has never been greater."
You can read the family's full statement here.
We will update you with any new developments.
CORRECTION: We have updated the location of where Mika Westwolf was hit and killed. We originally said the intersection near White Coyote Road, but added Highway 93 for clarification. We apologize for the error.
