NEW YORK, August 25. /TASS/. A nine year-old Russian boy Daniel Morozov, whose father killed the boy's mother before being shot dead by the US police, was taken to protective custody, a spokesman for the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco told TASS on Thursday.
"The US authorities told us that the boy currently is under protection of child services in the city of Santa Barbara. Due to the drama that he had been through, contacts with him have been limited," the consulate’s representative, Maxim Goncharov, said.
"The Consulate General has found the relatives of his mother and father, who are willing to take the child into their custody, and keeps in touch with them. One of the relatives in already in Los Angeles and is trying to meet with the boy," he said.
Daniel Morozov has dual Russian-US citizenship, so his future will be decided by a US court.
"The boy’s relatives were given all the required explanations," the Russian diplomat said. "We will continue to render all required consular assistance within our competence."
According to earlier reports, the tragedy in Daniel Morozov’s family took place on August 22. Investigators issued an Amber Alert for the boy, who was reportedly abducted by his father, 48-year-old Konstantin Morozov. The alert was issued after his mother was found dead in the city of Santa Maria, California.
The man was detected and shot by police when he was leaving his friend’s house in Encino. He died on his way to hospital. The boy was not harmed during the police operation.