Parents Questioned Over 12-Year-Old's Disappearance

Jonathan Foster

The investigation into the disappearance of a 12-year-old boy intensified Tuesday as both of his parents were taken in for questioning and their car was towed by police, MyFoxHouston.com reports.

A 1990's model tan colored Mercedes-Benz was towed away by the Houston Police Department just after noon from the home where Jonathan Foster lives with his mother and step father.

The missing boy's parents were driven away by HPD detectives in separate units just after the Mercedes was towed.

There was no indication the parents were taken into custody.

Foster, described as 4-feet-8-inches with red hair and an overbite, was last seen Friday afternoon at the Houston apartment complex wearing a tan colored shirt with a picture of a guitar, blue jeans and white sneakers. His mother says when she last called the house an unknown woman with a raspy voice picked up the phone then hung up.

At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, police said they could not confirm whether a child's body found in northeast Harris County was Foster’s because it was too badly burned.

"There's no identification so we're not sure if the two cases are connected," Kese Smith with HPD said.

In light of this news, the missing 12-year-old’s family hopes that he will be found alive.

"I believe he is out there," Mary Gifford, Jonathan’s maternal grandmother, said. “Let him come home, please.”

Sgt. Stuart Harris said that the boy's father and other relatives live within walking distance of the complex and he would often visit them. Harris said relatives have been cooperative with investigators. He said Child Protective Services has no history of the boy.

"I don't know if it's an abduction. I don't know if he just walked off," Harris said. "I don't know if there's foul play involved. We have no reason to think he's a runaway. He's missing under suspicious circumstances, which is always a major concern for us."

When asked why it took three days for an Amber Alert to be issued in the case, police said it was because they didn't feel they were getting the full story behind the child's disappearance.

Meanwhile, volunteers from Texas Equusearch, a mounted search and recovery organization, appear to be in standby mode until they hear word from detectives on the case.

Anyone with information is asked to call Houston Police Homicide at 713-308-3600.

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