WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US child protection service has placed restrictions on contacts with 9-year-old Daniel Morozov to reduce stress after his Russian parents tragically died, a spokesman for the Russian consulate in San Francisco said Thursday.
"US authorities have officially confirmed the death of his parents and told us the boy is currently under the care of Santa Barbara child protection service. Contacts with him have been restricted due to the tragedy he endured," Press Attache Maxim Goncharov told RIA Novosti.
"It is our understanding that Daniel Morozov is safe and under the care of the Los Angeles DFCS (Department of Family and Child Services). All matters under their jurisdiction are strictly confidential and non-public," she said.
Konstantin Morozov, the boy’s father, was fatally shot Tuesday by Los Angeles police after allegedly murdering his estranged wife Natalia and abducting Daniel from her home in Santa Barbara County, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Consulate General in San Francisco said the boy and his slain parents were Russian nationals. But the consulate spokesman said later the three also had US passports.
The consulate has discussed options for Daniel’s adoption, Goncharov said, adding relatives of both parents had expressed their readiness to take care of the child. One of them has already arrived in Los Angeles and is seeking to establish a contact with the boy. But the final decision on the adoption will be up to a US court, Goncharov said. "Daniel, like his parents, is an American citizen, so the issue of his adoption is likely to be solved in the US court," he said.
