Father's Girlfriend Arrested After Missing 6-Year-Old Son's Body Is Found In Tote Bag Inside Texas Best Western Motel Room
June 2 2021, Published 4:35 p.m. ET
A missing 6-year-old Houston, Texas boy's body has been found, and the father's girlfriend has been arrested.
Samuel Olson's body was allegedly discovered in a tote bag located inside a Best Western two hours away from his home.
When police arrived, they took Theresa Balboa into custody.
Houston Assistant Chief Heather Morris said on Wednesday, Balboa -- who was dating Samuel's dad, Dalton Samuel -- will be charged with tampering with evidence in connection to the missing boy.
Authorities first became aware of Samuel's disappearance on May 27, but they now believe he may have been missing for weeks.
Morris revealed police received an anonymous tip claiming the boy was inside a Jaspar, Texas Best Western motel room.
Balboa was inside the room when authorities made their move.
Despite her arrest, she has been released on bond.
According to the Daily Beast, investigators are still waiting on the medical examiner to confirm the body found inside the tote bag is indeed Samuel's.
The timeline of his disappearance is murky, especially with the claims Balboa first made on May 27.
When officers responded to Dalton's home, they said Balboa alleged Samuel was taken by his mother earlier in the day.
She claimed Samuel's mom, Sarah Olson, arrived with a police officer in the morning, prior to the boy being taken to school.
Balboa claimed the officer threatened her, saying she'd go to jail if she didn't hand over Samuel.
She alleges Sarah and the police officer took the boy and left in separate cars.
But Sarah says such incident never happened.
“Once [Dalton] heard this story from Ms. Balboa, he contacted Samuel’s mother and she told him that Samuel was not with her,” Morris revealed, adding that police checked out Sarah's story and was able to confirm she was home all day.
According to Morris, Samuel was last seen by someone other than a family member on April 30 at Holbrook Elementary School.
His grandma claims she saw him on May 2, when Samuel and his cousins came to visit her.
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The assistant chief said that when officers pushed Balboa on her story, they found inconsistencies.
On Tuesday, police executed a search warrant of the apartment where Balboa had been staying. They also searched her car, revealed Morris.
The investigation is still ongoing but Morris made it clear, they do not believe Samuel's dad is a “person of interest.”
According to Sarah's attorney, she has not seen her son since January 2020, claiming she “has been denied access” to Samuel.
Her lawyer blasted Balboa, stating her story about his disappearance is “completely untrue," adding, there's “too many holes in that story.”
