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Omaha Woman Wants $100K from County for Mistaken Arrest

lawsuit-settlementOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha mother wants Douglas County to pay her $100,000 for her mistaken arrest last year after she said deputies wrongly assumed she was another woman wanted for suspected child abuse.

Maria C. Vargas-Bautista was jailed for four days after she said officers arrested the wrong Maria.

She said Tuesday that officers never read her her constitutional rights before taking her into custody. She says she was later released from the jail without explanation. Her attorney filed a tort claim last week, detailing her arrest in May 2014.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Tom Wheeler declined to comment on Vargas-Bautista’s arrest because of the pending claim. Messages seeking comment from the Douglas County Corrections director were left by the newspaper.

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