Jonathan Foster Missing: Woman to be Charged in Disappearance of Texas 12-Year-Old, Say Sources

HOUSTON (CBS/KHOU) A woman is expected to be charged Wednesday in connection with the disappearance of 12-year-old Jonathan Foster, police sources said.

The woman, who is not a relative of the boy, was taken into custody Wednesday morning, reports CBS affiliate KHOU.

Police sources said she was not being cooperative with the investigation, but detectives have collected a considerable amount of evidence linking her to the boy's disappearance.

Investigators could be seen removing evidence from the suspect's home after she was taken into custody Wednesday.

Foster was last seen by his stepfather around 1:45 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Foster's mother reported him missing around 9:30 that night.

Police didn't issue an Amber Alert for Foster until Monday, citing conflicting stories from the boy's parents.

"Until we were able to narrow down and confirm that an abduction had taken place, we couldn't issue [an Amber Alert]," said Kese Smith, an HPD spokesman. 

According to Smith, police must follow certain criteria - or there's a danger that too many Amber Alerts may be issued and the public might ignore them.

The criteria include the following: the missing child must be 17 years old or younger. Investigators must believe the child has been abducted and that he or she is in "immediate danger." They must also conduct a thorough investigation to eliminate other possible reasons for the disappearance. Finally, they must have a "sufficient description" of the child, the suspect, or the vehicle used in the abduction.

Investigators questioned Foster's mother, stepfather and babysitter on Tuesday, but no arrests were made.

Texas EquuSearch was called in to help find Foster, and volunteers were focusing Tuesday on a wooded area near some railroad tracks at T.C. Jester and 43rd Street.

Meanwhile, the burned body of an unidentified child was found in a ditch in north Houston Tuesday, fueling speculation that it might be Foster.

Police would not confirm if the cases were related.