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Why Did Detectives Wait To Name Samantha Green A Suspect In Her Baby's Death?

WOODLAND (CBS13) – Authorities announced Samantha Green was arrested early Saturday morning – three days after her baby froze to death in a slough, detectives say.

Investigators say they needed time before making an arrest to connect the timeline of events.

In a photo given to CBS13 Saturday, baby Justice Rees is seen sound asleep in his grandfather's arms – the one and only time he got to hold him.

Justice's grandfather Randy Green reached out to us after getting word that his daughter, Samantha Green, was arrested on a murder charge, accused of killing the three-week-old baby boy.

"We are just totally devastated. There's a part of us that's been torn away from us and will never be back. Will never be the same, ever," Randy said.

The baby's father refused to speak to us about Samantha's arrest. His parents are staying out of the spotlight as well.

But the man who rescued Samantha 24 hours after she disappeared is still asking why.

"Why was she even the area in the beginning?" said Ricardo Villasenor.

Villasenor found Samantha near Knights Landing a day before a search team uncovered her baby's body in a slough.

She was hysterical, he says, claiming she'd been kidnapped and sexually assaulted – claims Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto's detectives say they cannot validate.

"Our investigation looked at the mere fact of when she disappeared and the time frame … Why did we find her Tuesday afternoon," Prieto said.

Detectives were careful not to name Samantha a suspect until making the connections.

But what part of the investigation led to an arrest?

We reached out to OJ Simpson attorney Bob Blasier to find out.

"That kind of a situation where she claims she was kidnapped, those are very difficult to fend from the defense side," Blasier said.

For now, Samantha's neighbors say they will continue praying for the baby who only had twenty days to live.

"You just, you pray for [them] and ask the Lord to protect them and welcome the little one in, and that's all we can do," said neighbor Sharon Dowling.

The case is now in the hands of Yolo County's district attorney who needs to decide what level of murder Samantha faces. She will be arraigned Monday or Tuesday.

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