Foster parents of missing boy not charged
OAKLAND, Calif. - Detectives continued to focus their investigation on the foster parents of a missing 5-year-old disabled boy despite prosecutors announcing there was not enough evidence to charge them with murder, police said.
Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan said yesterday that investigators know Hasanni Campbell was not in Oakland on Aug. 10.
That’s the day Hasanni’s foster father, Louis Ross, told authorities the boy disappeared after being left alone briefly outside an Oakland shoe store.
The boy, who is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, has not been found despite weeks of searching by police and a number of volunteers.
Jordan made the comments after prosecutors decided yesterday that no charges would be filed against Ross, 38.
The decision came a day after his fiancee, Jennifer Campbell, 33, was released from county jail without charges being filed. She is the foster mother and biological aunt of the boy.
Both Ross and Campbell were arrested by Oakland police on Friday - Ross on suspicion of murder and Campbell on suspicion of being an accessory to murder - and held over the weekend.
Campbell and Ross cared for the boy and his 1-year-old sister at their home in Fremont. The sister is now in protective custody.
“We are continuing to put our efforts into solving this case and potentially rearresting Mr. Louis Ross or Jennifer Campbell at some point,’’ Jordan said. “We respect the DA’s opinion but we have some more work to do here.’’
