A judge has increased bond to a total of $600,000 for a woman nk to the death of her boyfriend's son.
Theresa Balboa appeared in a Houston courtroom for the first time Monday to hear a judge read the charges against her, including Tampering with Evidence, in Particular a Human Corpse, and Assault with Intent to Impede Breath.
The tampering charge is linked to the death of Samuel Olson, 5. Her bond on that charged remains $500,000.
The judge added a $100,000 bond on the Assault charge. Prior to the investigation into Samuel's death, Balboa was out on bond for the Assault charge. Samuel's father, Dalton, says Balboa assaulting him in November 2020.
Balboa had been dating Dalton when his son disappeared.
Balboa was transported back to Houston from the Jasper County Jail on Friday.
Last Tuesday, Jasper Police, acting on a Crime Stoppers tip, found a child's body in a room with Balboa at the Best Western Inn.
Police say the 5-year-old boy may have died as long ago as May 10. The primary suspect's roommate provided police with disturbing details of where the child's body has been.
Authorities believe Balboa was on her way to Louisiana when she was arrested in Jasper and consider her a flight risk.
A preliminary autopsy for Samuel is expected to be completed Monday afternoon, but it will not be released to the public.
The Harris County District Attorney said more charges could be coming once an autopsy is complete on the child found with Balboa last week. The little boy is believed to be Samuel Olson, who was reported missing on May 27.
Prosecutors said the child had been dead for weeks before his body was found in the Jasper motel room where Balboa was arrested.
Prosecutors say the victim was wrapped in a black plastic bag and duct tape and stuffed into a plastic bin.
Samuel's maternal grandmother said during the weekend that it's hard for her to believe that no one else has been charged in connection with the boy's death.
According to prosecutors, Balboa told her roommate that Samuel was dead on May 10. He told investigators that he went to their apartment and saw the boy's lifeless body on a bed covered in bruises.
Prosecutors said he helped Balboa move the child into the bathtub and later move his body to a storage unit. A different man told police that he drove Balboa and the body to the motel in Jasper. That man later tipped off Crime Stoppers and told them where to find Balboa and Samuel.
Witness says Samuel Olson died more than 2 weeks before body was found, court records show
Neither man has been charged with any crime.
The body that's believed to be Samuel is still waiting for official identification by the Harris County Medical Examiner.
https://www.kjas.com/news/local_news/article_9c35f4fe-c7da-11eb-ade3-5fc4900249ab.html