Court records show the grandmother of a missing 4-year-old Washington state boy was granted emergency custody of him after telling a judge that his mother was a threat and was not able to care for him, days before he was reported missing and later found dead.
On March 25, Maria Garcia, the grandmother of Ariel Garcia, filed for "emergency minor guardianship," alleging that the child's mother "has a long history of alcohol and substance abuse that has gotten worse in the last few months," FOX 13 reported.
The court documents obtained by the news station also revealed that Maria Garcia said her daughter’s behavior is "very violent and unpredictable" and asked the court to give limited or no visitation to the child's mother, citing physical child abuse.
Ariel was last seen nearly two days after the court filing. Police said he was missing under "suspicious circumstances" with a family member.
Washington State Patrol issued an endangered missing person alert for Ariel in the early hours of March 28, several hours after he was last seen, and the Everett Police Department launched a regional search effort involving nearly 100 officers, agents and investigators from multiple jurisdictions, including the FBI.
Just before 6 p.m. on Thursday, Everett police were notified that a body had been located along an interstate in Pierce County. Detectives responded to the location and were able to confirm the deceased was Ariel.
"I am completely heartbroken for the family and friends of Ariel Garcia, and they will remain in my thoughts as they grieve this unbelievably tragic loss," Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said.
The next day, the Everett police arrested Janet Garcia, Ariel’s mother, in Vancouver, Washington, for murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree and assault of a child in the first degree. Police said she was a person of interest and her whereabouts were known early on in the investigation.
She was initially arrested for making a false statement to a public servant and booked into the Snohomish County Jail.
A friend told investigators that Ariel and his mother were staying with her, according to FOX 13. When the friend returned home on March 27, she saw a "substantial" amount of blood on the floor, but Ariel and his mother were nowhere to be found.
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When investigators mentioned this to Janet Garcia, FOX 13 reported she allegedly told them that Ariel fell off a bed and hit his head, which is why there was blood on the floor.
"On behalf of the Everett Police Department, I want to share our condolences with the loved ones of young Ariel Garcia. This is not the outcome we had hoped for," Everett Police Chief John DeRousse said. "I want to thank all our partners that jumped into action to support this search effort. Our investigation will continue, and we will do everything we can to ensure there is justice for this young boy."
