'KILLER' CUFFED
Theresa Balboa appears in court in prison jumpsuit for 1st time since being charged with murder of partner’s son, 5
THERESA Balboa has appeared in court in a prison jumpsuit for the first time since she was charged with the murder of her partner's five-year-old son.
, who was seen in handcuffs on Monday morning, previously helped in the search for her partner Dalton's son before being accused of killing the five-year-old.
3
3
The 29-year-old was initially charged with evidence tampering after allegedly wrapping the victim's tiny body in plastic bags and duct tape in a motel - with an alleged
The Harris County District Attorney's Office confirmed that the capital murder felony was added on Thursday.
On Monday, Balboa walked into the courtroom without representation and left without a bond amount. While inside, a judge found probable cause to hit her with the new charge.
Balboa will next be seen in front of a grand jury - however, that can take up to 90 days.
Prosecutor Andrea Beall said that the felony was based on forensic evidence and cell phone records, alongside statements from Balboa's roommate, Ben Rivera.
Rivera is also charged with tampering with evidence in this case.
Following the new charges last week, Samuel's grandmother Tonya Olson exclusively told The Sun: "We found out a little while ago, we were praying for this.
"The police have been keeping us updated but they didn't tell us this. I hope she gets the death sentence.
"I'm not in a good space, neither is my son, we are devastated right now.
"I know eventually we'll have to talk, but right now we just can't."
She added that the family is eager to see , the 28-year-old roommate of Theresa Balboa, also spend time behind bars after he allegedly helped her move Samuel's body.
He is confined to house arrest and must wear a GPS monitoring device, a Harris County judge ruled in Houston.
Almost paralyzed by grief, Tonya previously told The Sun the family is "extremely distraught" and they were finding it hard to hear the gruesome details of Samuel's tragic death.
She told The Sun: "Nobody should have to imagine this.
"We've been staying off social media, and we don't even watch the updates, it's sickening. And then you have to hear the details."
Anguished family members sat huddled in a large outbuilding next to Tonya's home as she wiped away tears and spoke of her grief, adding: "Justice will be done."
She said she was last with Samuel on May 2 and he was wearing a gray t-shirt with the Kool-Aid man emblazoned on the front, jean shorts, and white Buzz Lightyear tennis shoes.
BOY WENT MISSING IN MAY
on May 27 by Balboa and his father.
His body was found in a motel on June 1 with Balboa hiding in the bathroom, according to reports.
The youngster had been living with her and not his biological parents at the time of his disappearance.
Balboa's roommate, , told police she called him around May 10 and revealed that Samuel was dead.
Court records obtained by The Sun show he told officers he came home from work to find the boy "unresponsive" on the bed and saw bruising on his body.
He said he and Balboa placed his body in a bathtub where he remained for two days.
Rivera claims they wrapped the body in a plastic sheet and placed it in a tote bag before hiding the remains in a storage until May 31, court documents say.
Surveillance footage reportedly captured Balboa being picked up from the parking lot of a Walmart by pal Dylan Walker in Cleveland on Tuesday.
He stated she called him pleading for help after being involved in an altercation.
They then drove to the Life Storage in Webster, picked up a "foul-smelling" storage bin, and loaded it on the back of his truck.
Most read in News
Police busted her at a Best Western Motel on June 1 in Jasper after a pal claimed he drove her there with the storage bin and later tipped off CrimeStoppers.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
She had weeks before that she had given Samuel back to his biological mother, Sarah Olson, when she showed up at her home with a man she believed to be a police officer.
Houston Police Department Executive Assistant Larry Satterwhite confirmed that cops have not verified the version of events Balboa provided.
3
Stepmom Theresa Balboa gives statement after Samuel Olson goes missing
Topics