Mom Julissa Thaler arrested after body of six-year-old Eli Hart found in bloody car trunk

A BODY found in a bloody car’s trunk has been identified as six-year-old Eli Hart.

Orono police have arrested a 28-year-old woman Julissa Thaler on probable cause for murder in the death of a boy found in the trunk of her car during a traffic stop Friday morning.

Orono police confirmed that the woman arrested in connection with the case had been booked into Hennepin County Jail early Saturday morning. Another suspect is also in custody, and court documents indicate that the child’s mother is one of the suspects.

Family members have identified the six-year-old boy who died in a tragic accident as Eli Hart. The family has started a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral costs.

Court documents show that Eli Hart’s father, Tory Hart, had been fighting for custody of his son. The boy’s mother struggled with drug addiction and mental health issues.

Westonka Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Borg, in an email sent Saturday, said Hart was a kindergarten student at Shirley Hills Primary School in Mound.

According to Borg, “it is horrifying and difficult to process a tragedy of this magnitude, especially in our close-knit community.” He added that his thoughts and prayers go out to those who are grieving.

Police responded to a 911 call at 7 a.m. Friday about a suspicious vehicle driving on its rim with the back window smashed out. Police said they pulled over a silver car with a matching description on Bartlett Blvd in Mound.

When an officer spoke to the driver of a car, he noticed blood inside. He searched the vehicle and found a boy’s body in the truck.

Police determined earlier that the same car was at a Shell gas station on Three Points Blvd., where they located evidence, according to a news release. Police also searched an apartment complex off Interlachen Rd and an area off of Red Oak Ln.