UPDATE: Mother arrested in death of Everett boy, 4

EVERETT — Police arrested the mother of a 4-year-old Everett boy in southern Washington on Friday for investigation of murder in the boy’s death.

The mother, Janet Ernestina Garcia, was set to be booked into the Snohomish County Jail on Friday evening for investigation of first- and second-degree murder and first-degree assault of a child.

On Monday, Ariel Garcia’s grandmother filed for emergency guardianship in Snohomish County Superior Court, arguing his mother’s drug and alcohol abuse made her “leave for days, at a time, without notice.”. She also called the mother’s behavior “very violent and unpredictable.” The grandmother wrote she was able to “step in” when this would happen.

If Janet Garcia, 27, were to be notified of the guardianship case, the grandmother feared “she may harm me or try to run away with Ariel and harm him in the process.”

Snohomish County Superior Court Commissioner Nicole Wagner approved a temporary emergency guardianship and restraining order at 1:23 p.m. Tuesday. The mother was not present in court, and it was unclear if police tried to serve the order on her.

The order needed to be delivered within 48 hours.

Police initially arrested Janet Garcia in Clark County for investigation of making false statements to a public servant, according to jail records.

The child was last seen alive around 7 a.m. Wednesday at an apartment in the 4800 block of Vesper Drive, according to Everett police. He was believed to have left the home “under suspicious circumstances” with a family member, police said.

Around 3:40 p.m., security footage caught a blue 2013 Nissan Sentra over 180 miles south in 3Peaks Public House & Taproom in Ridgefield, bar owner Carrie Beckwith wrote in an email to The Daily Herald. The car was believed to be associated with the missing child, though employees had no reason to know that at the time. A woman parked the car in the lot, got out alone and walked north, Beckwith said. She did not come into the bar. Police arrived to the taproom around 7 p.m. asking for access to their cameras. Officers seized the Nissan.

Around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, Clark County sheriff’s deputies received reports of an “unwanted person” at a home in Ridgefield, The Columbian reported Friday.

When officers contacted Janet Garcia, they noticed blood on her shoes and shirt, the Clark County newspaper reported, citing a police report. Garcia told investigators her son had fallen off the bed and hit his head earlier that day. She reportedly said she tried taking him to a hospital in Everett, but the wait was too long.

Janet Garcia claimed to have dropped off her son at a friend’s apartment and deleted the friend’s number, according to The Columbian. She reportedly gave deputies conflicting statements about what happened that day, but repeatedly said her son hit his head. For example, she told police she left her car in Seattle and took a bus from there to Ridgefield for alcohol abuse treatment.

Authorities booked her into Clark County jail at 12:03 a.m. Thursday, according to jail staff.

Early Friday, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office declined to give more information on the arrest, stating the case was under Everett’s jurisdiction.

Around 5:55 p.m. Thursday, investigators found a body along I-5 in Pierce County, following a search around the Pacific Northwest. Everett detectives confirmed the deceased was Ariel Garcia.

Major Crimes detectives continued investigating after the arrest Friday.

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office was expected to determine the cause and manner of death by next week.

“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,” Mayor Cassie Franklin said in a statement Friday. “I want to commend our Everett Police Department leadership, the many hard-working men and women that make up our team and our law enforcement partners throughout the region for all your work investigating this case. I also want to thank our media partners and the public for their help disseminating information and sharing tips – it really does make a difference.”

Around the same time as the body was found, the Washington State Patrol issued an Endangered Missing Person alert for Ariel Garcia on behalf of Everett police, setting off alarms on phones around the region.

The grandmother, 60, filed for emergency guardianship for both Ariel Garcia and his older brother, 7. She wrote in court papers that the mother and kids lived in Washington until November 2019, then lived in California for a few months before moving back.

“Ariel being so young needs someone to look after him, and his mom is not able to give him the care he needs,” the grandmother wrote. “He becomes scared of her condition and does not want to be around her anymore. I can give him a normal life.”

A follow-up court hearing on the guardianship had been set for 9 a.m. Friday. The hearing was rescheduled to late April.

On Friday morning, neighbors expressed surprise at the tragedy, describing a quiet street where residents kept to themselves.

When Ariel Garcia went missing, an Amber Alert was prepared, but not issued, because there wasn’t a known suspect for the public to look for, Everett police officer Chris Hawley said early Thursday.

Officers had been in touch with the boy’s family, including his mother, during the search for the missing boy.

Anyone with information can dial 911, submit tips to 425-257-8450, or email tips@everettwa.gov.

Maya Tizon: 425-339-3434; maya.tizon@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @mayatizon.

Aina de Lapparent Alvarez: 425-339-3449; aina.alvarez@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @Ainadla.