Tracy police had a press conference this morning to announce a third arrest in the case of the shackled 17-year-old — a woman who has an outstanding felony warrant against her for an earlier alleged assault against the teen.

The press conference was attended by more than 25 members of the media and gave limited details about Caren Ramirez, 43, arrested at 9:43 p.m. Tuesday night in Berkeley. She was charged with torture, child beating, false imprisonment by violence, conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor and kidnapping.

Tracy police received a tip Tuesday that Ramirez was at a friend’s apartment on the 2600 block of College Avenue in Berkeley. Officers had searched for her after finding out that she had stayed with Kelly Layne Lau and Michael Schumacher, who were arrested Monday in the case. 

Berkeley police handed Ramirez over to Tracy this morning for questioning.

“We’re waiting for her to spill the beans,” city spokesman Matt Robinson said at the press conference. “She’s the missing link in all of this.”

Ramirez, who is believed to be from Cuba, may be the teen’s aunt; however, she is black, and he is described as white with blue eyes.

Lau, 30, a Girl Scout leader and mother of four, and her husband, Schumacher, 34, are in San Joaquin County Jail, each with bail set at nearly $1.2 million. They were booked on the same charges as Ramirez.

Police said Ramirez had become the teen's guardian after child-welfare officials took him from his abusive father three or four years ago. But Ramirez was charged with felony child abuse, and the teen was placed in a group home in Sacramento.

A year and a half ago, the teen ran away from the group home. Ramirez, too, disappeared, and there was a warrant out for her arrest in the child abuse charge.

The boy's whereabouts were unknown to authorities until 4 p.m. Monday, when he showed up wearing only boxer briefs at In-Shape Health Club, 101 S. Tracy Blvd., covered in what appeared to be soot, with a chain locked to his ankle. He said he had fled his captors, who lived in Tennis Village.

“He was totally terrified,” gym manager Chuck Ellis said.

The boy said he had been held captive for nearly a year, Ellis said, adding that he looked as if he was only 10 to 12 years old.

Authorities said they believe the boy had been chained to a car seat but picked up a dropped key, unlocked himself and fled when the car stopped.

A search of Schumacher’s rented home found evidence implicating the couple, Robinson said, but he would not describe what officers found.

Meanwhile, the boy has been released from Sutter Tracy Community Hospital and placed with the county’s child protective services.

 

Lau and Schumacher will appear in court Thursday.

• The Associated Press contributed to this report.