Members of the Department’s Violent Crimes Unit arrested Janet Garcia, the mother of 4-year-old Ariel Garcia, in Vancouver, Washington. The woman was charged with several counts in the disappearance and death of the infant, Everett police said.
After an investigation, the authorities identified his mother as a suspect in the death of the child Ariel García. “Janet was a person of interest and her whereabouts were known from the beginning of the investigation. She will be booked into the Snohomish County Jail.”
Accused of multiple charges for the death of her son
Janet Garcia, 27, faces charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and first-degree assault of a child, Everett police said in a statement.
The child’s mother was taken into custody for making false and misleading statements within hours of Ariel being reported missing, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Her vehicle was seized the same day.
According to the Everett Police report, at approximately 5:55 pm on Thursday, March 28, 2024, Everett Police were notified of the discovery of a body on I-5 in Pierce County.
Detectives responded to the location and were able to confirm that the body belonged to the child Ariel Garcia. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner now has custody and will determine the cause and manner of death.
Everett Mayor Sends Message
“I am completely heartbroken for Ariel Garcia’s family and friends and they will remain in my thoughts as they grieve this incredibly tragic loss,” said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin.
He also added: “I want to congratulate our leadership at the Everett Police Department, the many hard-working men and women who make up our team, and our law enforcement partners throughout the region for all their work investigating this case. “I would also like to thank our media partners and the public for their help in spreading information and sharing advice, it really makes a difference.”
The child was reported missing under “suspicious circumstances” by a family member, at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, March 27. The department launched an extensive regional search effort involving nearly one hundred officers, agents and investigators from multiple jurisdictions, including the FBI.
Based on the initial investigation, detectives determined that the child was last seen Wednesday morning and made an alert with his physical description.
They issued an alert for a missing person in danger
The next day, the Washington State Patrol issued an endangered missing persons notice, a more locally focused alert. Updates and requests for advice were shared with local media and the public to amplify the message throughout the region.
“On behalf of the Everett Police Department, I want to share our condolences with the loved ones of young Ariel García. This is not the outcome we expected,” said Everett Police Chief John DeRousse.
DeRpusse noted, “I want to thank all of our partners who 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 man.”
Everett Police Department Major Crimes detectives are involved in this case and will continue to investigate.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Everett Police Department at (425) 257-8450 or tips@everettwa.gov.
Keep reading:
- Young woman from Florida reported missing after not arriving home from work found healthy
- Pennsylvania authorities went from a search and rescue mission to a recovery mission after failing to find a girl who was swept away by the river
- Wisconsin detectives find blanket belonging to boy Elijah Vue, who has been missing for several weeks