Five-year-old Samuel Olson, the Houston boy who was reported missing on May 27, may have died weeks before authorities were notified of his disappearance.
According to new court documents, the girlfriend of Samuel’s biological father, Theresa Balboa, allegedly called her roommate on May 10 to tell him that the boy died.
The roommate allegedly informed investigators during the police investigation into Samuel’s disappearance that he returned home after the phone call and found the child on his bed, bruised and unresponsive.
The roommate stated how he and Balboa moved Samuel’s body to a bathtub and left him there for two days before wrapping the boy up in a plastic sheet and placing him in a tote to take to a storage unit in Webster, Texas.
And on Monday, during the search for Samuel, another male friend received a call from Balboa asking for help, according to authorities.
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Allegedly, the friend informed investigators that he picked Balboa up and the two drove to the storage unit, where they retrieved a plastic container with a foul odor and transported it to a motel room in Jasper, Texas. Police were directed to the motel after receiving an anonymous tip from CrimeStoppers.
Houston’s Assistant Police Chief Heather Morris said in a news conference on Wednesday that authorities believe the body found at the motel “to be Samuel, but we cannot confirm that it is him until the medical examiner makes that determination.”
Balboa, who previously claimed that Samuel had been taken from her Houston apartment, was arrested on a charge of tampering with evidence after she was also found at the motel, according to Morris.
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Samuel’s father, Dalton Olson, has not been charged but is continuing to face questions from the police. Previously, police said that Samuel’s biological parents have shared custody of the child.
Samuel’s mother, Sarah Olson, said in comments shared with PEOPLE by her attorney Thursday, “I’m heartbroken, but I believe that body is my baby.”
“All I want is justice for Samuel, my baby,” Sarah said. “I do not want people to forget Samuel’s name.”