Ambrozuk to fight extradition

The Daily Inter Lake

Jaroslaw "Jerry" Ambrozuk, facing a negligent homicide charge in Flathead County, Wednesday told a judge he plans to fight extradition.

A judge in Collins County, Texas, set bond for Ambrozuk at $100,000 on the felony charge of being a fugitive from justice there. Ambrozuk is also being held without bond on a federal detainer for alleged immigration violations.

Ambrozuk had no attorney at the hearing, according to John Norton, public information officer for the Collins County Sheriff's Office.

Ambrozuk, 43, is a Canadian who disappeared after crashing a rented plane into Bitterroot Lake, west of Kalispell, in 1982. His passenger, Dianne Babcock, 18, drowned while Ambrozuk swam to safety.

He was arrested a week ago in Texas after a tip to Flathead County Sheriff Jim Dupont that Ambrozuk was living there under the name of Michael Smith.

Since his arrest, Ambrozuk has been segregated from the jail population because of the high profile of his case.

He included no one on his visitation list, which means no one can come to see him in the jail. He refused to provide any family information, Norton said.

With Ambrozuk's desire to fight extradition, Gov. Brian Schweitzer will have to send a warrant to Texas, asking the state to release him to Montana authorities. If Texas Gov. Rick Perry finds there is cause to return Ambrozuk to Montana, he will send the warrant to Collin County.

Then, a U.S. Marshal or a contracted delivery service will bring Ambrozuk to Flathead County.