Missing 4-year-old's body found, mother Janet Garcia arrested in connection to his murder

A Washington mother accused of killing her preschool-aged son was arrested the day after his body was found off an interstate and is now facing charges.

Janet Garcia, 27, from Everett, Washington, was placed in the custody by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, CCSO, for making "false and misleading statements" a few hours after her 4-year-old son, Ariel Garcia, was reported missing by a relative on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Her vehicle was also impounded by CCSO on the same day.

Thursday, at around 5:55p.m., Ariel's body was found off an interstate in Pierce County, about an hour south of Seattle.

“On behalf of the Everett Police Department, I want to share our condolences with the loved ones of young Ariel Garcia," said Everett Chief of Police John DeRousse in a statement. "This is not the outcome we had hoped for.“

On Friday, March 29, Garcia was arrested by Everett Police Department's Violent Crime Unit and was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on the following charges:

• First-degree murder
• Second-degree murder
• Assault of a child in the first-degree

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Ariel Garcia's murder remains under investigation

According to the statement, the department's major crimes detectives from the Everett Police Department are actively involved in this case and will continue to investigate.

The department asks people with information regarding the incident to call or email their tip line at 425-257-8450 or tips@everettwa.gov. 

Contributing reporting: Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz.