Samuel Olson death: Theresa Balboa, girlfriend of boy's dad, arrested at motel where 6-year-old's body found
JASPER, TEXAS: Houston police have linked the death of Samuel Olson to his father's girlfriend, Theresa Balboa. Authorities said during a press conference on Wednesday, June 2, that Balboa has been arrested in connection with the death of six-year-old Olson. Balboa was apprehended at a Best Western motel in Jasper where Olson's body was found, on Tuesday evening, June 1.
Police said they received a tip from a Crime Stoppers tipster before arriving at the motel off of West Gibson Street at around 6 pm on June 1. At the time of discovery on Tuesday evening, the body had not been officially identified but the police strongly suspected they had found the missing 6-year-old child's body.
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According to the report, the missing child's body was found inside a tote bag inside room number 106, with signs that the body had been there for a while. Detectives scoured surveillance camera footage at the motel at the time.
This is the motel room in Jasper, TX — where local authorities found the body of a young boy yesterday & alerted @houstonpolice.
— Michelle Choi (@MichelleKHOU) June 2, 2021
HPD confirming they believe the body belongs to missing #Houston boy, 6 YO Samuel Olson.
At least one person in custody here @ Jasper County. @KHOU pic.twitter.com/hEzsB4VU4G
Authorities said Balboa is currently facing charges of tampering with evidence, and that additional charges could follow. Balboa reportedly told officers numerous inconsistent stories during questioning. Furthermore, no further arrests have been made in connection with the incident. A motive is yet to be established and the boy's father is not a suspect at this time, police said.
MEAWW previously reported how Samuel Olson was last seen Thursday, May 27, in Houston, in the 8800 block of McAvoy Drive. His grandmother Tanya Olson told KHOU 11 that she last saw the boy the first week in May and last spoke with him on the phone about a week before he was reported missing. She added that he was being cared for by a friend of his father's girlfriend at the time of his disappearance.
Houston police announced on June 1 that no one outside of Samuel's family had seen him since April 30, when he was reportedly spotted at Holbrook Elementary in Cy-Fair ISD. “It’s cause for concern,” Kese Smith, public information officer for the Houston Police Department, told Newsweek.
Balboa insisted she last saw Samuel on Thursday, May 27. “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,” Balboa said.
However, Houston Police Department Executive Assistant Larry Satterwhite said they had not been able to verify Balboa’s claims. “All we have are reports. The last time we know, for a fact, he was in school and that was April 30th,” Satterwhite added.
Samuel's custody is shared by his biological mother and father, according to Satterwhite. Both parents told police they did not have their son and had no idea of his whereabouts.
According to CrimeOnline, one of the last known places Sam was reportedly seen was at a southeast Houston apartment complex off of Gulf Breeze. Satterwhite told the press that one of Balboa's friends stays at the complex. During the press conference on June 2, however, police said Balboa lived at the complex with a male.
NEW: Previous mug shots of Theresa Balboa, the woman taken into custody at the Jasper motel where the body of Samuel Olson, 6, is believed to be found. Balboa was out on bond from an assault charge in November, which alleges she assaulted Dalton Olson, Sam’s father. @KHOU pic.twitter.com/YhpJDgaWAx
— Janelle Bludau (@JanelleKHOU) June 2, 2021
Authorities had executed a search warrant at the apartment on Monday, May 31, and even impounded a vehicle. Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller, who assisted with the search, had spoken to the press on Tuesday, before Olson's body had been found. “I’ve worked many, many of these cases. I don’t have a good feeling,” Miller said at the time. “Nobody can find out anybody that’s credible that can tell us the last time he was seen and where.”
An investigation is underway to find out what exactly happened in the final moments leading up to Samuel Olson's death.
If you or anyone you know has information related to the case, you are urged to call 911 or dial 832-394-1840 to connect with the Houston Police Department Missing Persons Unit.