Wanted mom Samantha Moreno Rodriguez arrested after son Liam Husted, 7, found dead on hiking trail n
THE mother of a seven-year-old boy found dead on a hiking trail near Las Vegas last month was arrested on Tuesday, cops say.
Samantha Moreno Rodriguez, 35, was found by cops in a hotel in Denver, Colorado, with another man after reportedly killing her son Liam Husted in Mountain Springs, Nevada, and fleeing.
The man with Rodriguez at the time of her arrest is not believed to be involved in the case, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said during a press conference on Tuesday.
Rodriguez left her home in San Jose, California, with Liam on May 24, leaving a note for his father stating that she was going to find them a new home.
The unidentified father said that the note was waiting for him when he returned home.
"I'm sorry I had to do it like this," she wrote. "I'm trying to get a house for Liam and I."
She had reportedly been in a relationship with Liam's father for a long time and there was no evidence that there were any previous problems within the family or involvement from social services.
Liam's father reported to the cops that they were missing a week later, June 1, when his son's unidentified body had already been found in another state.
At the time, he did not file a report of parental abduction as he did not wish for Rodriguez to get in trouble.
Spencer said that Liam was believed to be still alive on May 27 when he and his mother checked into a hotel in Las Vegas.
However, the body of the boy was discovered on May 28 by a person hiking in the Mountain Springs area - around 30 miles southwest of Las Vegas.
The identity of the boy was not known at first and a sketch was sent to local agencies.
A friend of Rodriguez recognized Liam from the sketch and knowing that he was missing, contacted Las Vegas police.
They retrieved a pillow from Liam's room in San Jose to confirm the boy's DNA.
Cops and FBI would not comment on Tuesday on the cause of death or on whether a weapon was used.
They said further details will be released once the coroner completes a toxicology report.
Rodriguez was taken into custody by Denver Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force after a tip off.
She suspect will be booked in a local jail pending extradition to Las Vegas.
Lt. Spencer said this could happen as early as the end of the week if Rodriguez does not contest.
Cops said Liam and his mom left San Jose on May 24 in a dark blue Dodge Caliber sedan and were later seen in southern California, NBC News reports.
Spencer said the back seat of the vehicle was "packed full of belongings."
Just days later, a hiker found Liam's body behind a bush at a trailhead off the main highway between Las Vegas and Pahrump.
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Police believe the mom and her son traveled to the cities of Laguna Beach and Victorville on May 26 but cops are trying to determine where they stayed.
The car was then seen near Grand Junction, Colorado on May 29, according to reports.
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Cops confirmed Liam's father is not a suspect in the case.
Anyone with information can contact the Las Vegas Police Department's homicide tip number on 702-828-3521. The investigation remains ongoing.
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