Theresa Balboa, the girlfriend of Samuel Olson’s father, has been charged with tampering with evidence after a body believed to be the missing 6-year-old boy was found in a motel room in Jasper, Texas.
An anonymous Crime Stoppers tip led police to the discovery of the body Tuesday night at a Best Western motel about two hours northeast of Houston, just days after the young boy was reported missing.
Video from overnight shows investigators going in and out of the Jasper motel room wearing protective clothing.
HPD said at a briefing Wednesday morning that there were inconsistencies in Balboa’s statements.
Jasper police contacted Balboa and discovered the body, Houston police said.
Balboa is in the Jasper County Jail.
Houston police chief Troy Finner said Tuesday night that the discovery of the body confirmed the worst fears for the young boy.
“I ask the entire Houston community to join HPD in sending prayers for Samuel and his family,” Finner tweeted.
While HPD believes the body belongs to Samuel, medical examiners will determine whether it is indeed the missing boy, police added.
The little boy’s 6th birthday was over the weekend.
Balboa reported Samuel missing on May 27.
On Monday, Balboa said she last saw the child last Thursday morning in the 8800 block of McAvoy Drive in southwest Houston at his paternal grandmother’s house. Balboa was also seen at the search for Samuel in the Webster area.
“I was going to take Sam to school when his mother showed up with the police officer, or who I was under the impression to be a police officer, and they demanded me to release Sam,” explained Balboa on Monday.
Balboa said she handed the young boy to the mom because the parents are in a custody battle. However, HPD Executive Assistant Larry Satterwhite said investigators have not been able to verify that.
In fact, Samuel may have gone missing weeks ago.
The investigation into Samuel’s disappearance took a troubling turn when it was discovered that he hadn’t been seen at Cy-Fair ISD’s Holbrook Elementary School since April 30, several weeks before he was reported missing.
Source: abc13.com
