San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus said Monday night that the kidnapping of eight month old King Jay Davila was a staged event intended to cover up another crime, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"We can say now without a doubt that this was not a car theft, and this was not a carjacking," McManus said. "This was a staged event, as we have said previously."
And McManus hinted that detectives now feel that this will not turn out well.
"We believe that the story of the kidnapping was made up, and made up to cover up foul play involving King Jay Davila."
McManus, in an evening news briefing, said the woman seen in the video driving away with what police originally thought was the baby in the car is a cousin of Christopher Davila, the boys father. She has been arrested on unrelated charges. McManus says detectives now believe the baby was not in the car.
She was identified this morning as Angie Torres, 45. She is held on an unrelated robbery charge.
King Jay has not been located, and McManus didn't say where officials believe he is, or what the other crime might be.
Christopher Davila had claimed that his car was stolen when he left the baby in the carseat to run into a store on Enrique Barrera Pkwy Friday night. He has been charged with child endangerment.
The woman, who has not been identified, was seen on surveillance video driving away in the car, which was found abandoned near Rodriguez Park.
McManus indicated that he has about had it with relatives of Christopher Davila who have been blasting police conduct of the investigation from the start. He pointed out that Davila has spent more time talking to the media from jail than talking to detectives who are trying to determine what happened to his son.
"Even if you were not directly involved in this, if you are withholding information or you have lied to the police, we will charge you at the conclusion of this investigation."