Janet Garcia, 27, was charged with first-degree murder on Friday in the death of Ariel Garcia in Everett. She allegedly stabbed her 4-year-old son over 40 times at an apartment in Everett, Washington. (Garcia: KING/YouTube; Ariel: Everett Police)
A Washington state A mother in Washington state allegedly stabbed her 4-year-old son about 41 times before leaving his body on the side of a highway wrapped in a Christmas blanket, as per the authorities.
Janet Garcia, 27, was accused of first-degree murder on Friday in connection with the death of her son Ariel Garcia in Everett, which is approximately 30 miles north of Seattle. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, investigators initially identified 16 “sharp force wounds,” but an autopsy concluded there were 41. At an arraignment hearing on Monday, prosecutors argued that the number of stab wounds indicated the attack on Ariel was “prolonged,” the Everett Herald reported. The autopsy stated Ariel died of “homicidal violence.” Everett Herald reported that the number of stab wounds suggested that the attack on Ariel was prolonged. The autopsy indicated that Ariel died as a result of “homicidal violence.”
According to defense attorney Kathryn Fraser, the killing was not premeditated but rather “a tragic circumstance of the failure of meaningful access to addiction treatment and mental health resources.”
Garcia’s mother reported Ariel missing under “suspicious circumstances” around 4 p.m. on March 27, the affidavit said. Ariel’s body was discovered just before 6 p.m. on March 28 along I-5 in the Tacoma area, which is south of Seattle. Garcia was arrested the next day after she trespassed at a group home, according to the affidavit. FBI investigators tracked her movements via her cellphone, which led them to the discovery of his body, officials said. Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin expressed her condolences to the family and friends of Ariel Garcia, calling his loss “unbelievably tragic.”
Garcia’s mother called the police after finding a large amount of blood in her apartment, where Ariel and his mother were staying. statement.
Garcia’s mother contacted the police after finding a significant amount of blood in her apartment where Ariel and his mother were residing.
It was alleged that Garcia stated Ariel had fallen and hit his head that morning and she took him to the hospital, but the wait was too long so she left. She then claimed to have left the boy at a home in Seattle while she boarded a bus. However, Garcia’s account was inconsistent and investigators noted she had blood on her shirt and shoes, the affidavit said.
Ariel was also involved in a custody dispute between his mother and grandmother, as per a local ABC affiliate KOMO . Court records reportedly indicated that Ariel’s grandmother filed a petition for guardianship two days before he went missing.
A document reportedly quoted Ariel’s grandmother expressing her love for her grandson and her desire to protect him from his mother, stating she was not capable of parenting while on drugs and exhibited “very violent and unpredictable” behavior. The grandmother also alleged that Garcia would leave Ariel and another child unsupervised in order to go to the bar and consume alcohol.
The grandmother further stated that she was aware of Ariel’s needs as she had cared for him over the years.
Garcia was brought to the Snohomish County Jail where she is currently located being detained on a $3 million bond.
“On behalf of the Everett Police Department, I would like to express our sympathy to the family and friends of young Ariel Garcia. This is not the result we had hoped for,” said Everett Chief of Police John DeRousse in a statement.