(LAS VEGAS) — A California mother accused of murdering her 7-year-old son was arrested Tuesday, officials said.
Samantha Moreno Rodriguez, 35, was arrested in Denver, Colorado, and will be booked pending extradition to Las Vegas, authorities said.
She is a suspect in the death of her son, Liam Husted, the Las Vegas Metro Police Department said. Police had obtained an arrest warrant seeking nationwide extradition for her.
A hiker found Liam’s body on May 28 near State Route 160 in Mountain Springs, Nevada. Police said the boy was the victim of a homicide.
He was identified after the Las Vegas Police Department worked with San Jose Police to confirm his identity, Lt. Raymond Spencer said at the press conference Monday.
Rodriguez left San Jose with her son on May 24 in a dark blue 2008 Dodge Caliber hatchback. Spencer noted that the car was “packed with belongings.” Rodriguez and her son first traveled to Southern California before heading to Nevada, he said.
Rodriguez’s car was seen near Grand Junction Colorado on May 29. She checked into a Denver-area hotel room on May 31, police said.
A family friend alerted San Jose police that Rodriguez and her son were missing after she hadn’t seen them for two weeks and after she saw news coverage of the boy’s body.
Police are asking the public to come forward with information on her whereabouts and released a photo of her and her vehicle’s license plate.
Officials said they weren’t aware of any prior child abuse in Liam’s case. There’s no motive for the homicide so far.
Liam’s father is not considered a suspect in the murder, police said. He reported Liam missing on June 1 but didn’t think his son was in danger, Spencer said.
If you have any information, please contact LVMPD at (702)828-3521 or (702)828-2907, or the FBI at 1-800-225-5324.
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