SAN ANTONIO – The family of missing toddler James Avie Chairez is waiting for answers after investigators said an autopsy of the human remains that were found last month won’t happen until at least July 1st.
The family held a media briefing Saturday morning to discuss the latest investigation developments and spoke out on child abuse, mistreatment, and neglect.
This comes after human remains were found in a West Side mobile home park, where James Chairez lived with his mother, 20-year-old D’Lanny Reaneille Chairez, in late April.
The human remains have not yet been identified by the medical examiner.
They were found during a search by investigators at the mobile home, located in the 7600 block of W. Military Drive, on April 28, according to a previous KSAT report.
James’ great aunt, Mariesol Gomez, said the remains were found underground, near the walkway of the main entrance to the mobile home. She added that the DNA of the remains should be revealed soon, but the autopsy isn’t expected to take place until at least July 1st.
“We want the public to know that we’re fighting still for James,” Gomez said. “Right now, not knowing what happened to him and not knowing that it’s him, it already hurts.”
Gomez and members of a nonprofit group, KJ’s Angels, have been cleaning out the family’s mobile home since February. The cleanup efforts continued Saturday as well.
Jasmine Anderson, the founder of KJ’s Angels, said she and James’s family have grievances with Child Protective Services, in that they believe CPS could’ve helped prevent James’ disappearance.
“We do have some issues, some grievances, mostly with Child Protective Services. We feel like James was failed,” Anderson said. “Somebody needed to lay eyes on James and nobody made that happen.
Gomez said James’ mother, D’Lanny Chairez, has stayed silent through the investigation.
D’Lanny Chairez was arrested in March on suspicion of abandoning or endangering a child and was indicted by a grand jury on charges of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.
She was initially reported missing along with 18-month-old James on Jan. 4.
Investigators eventually tracked D’Lanny down, but they did not find James with her.
The case of James Chairez is still under investigation. We’ll bring more updates as they unfold.