4-year-old fatally stabbed by mother before she dumped his body on side of highway wrapped in Christmas blanket: Police

Janet Garcia, left, is accused of stabbing her 4-year-old son Ariel Garcia, right, more than 40 times at an apartment in Everett, Washington. She’s charged with first-degree murder. (Garcia: KING/YouTube; Ariel: Everett Police)

A Washington state mother stabbed her 4-year-old son approximately 41 times before dumping his body on the side of a highway wrapped in a Christmas blanket, cops say.

Janet Garcia, 27, was charged with first-degree murder on Friday in the death of Ariel Garcia in Everett, which is about 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 determined there were 41. At an arraignment hearing on Monday, prosecutors argued the number of stab wounds showed the attack against Ariel was “prolonged,” the Everett Herald reported . The autopsy said Ariel died of “homicidal violence.”

Defense attorney Kathryn Fraser reportedly said 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. Cops found Ariel’s body 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.

“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,” said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin in a statement .

Garcia’s mother called police after finding a found a large amount of blood in her apartment where Ariel and his mother were staying.

Garcia allegedly claimed 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,” the affidavit said. She then dropped the boy off at a home in Seattle while she boarded a bus, she claimed. But Garcia’s story was inconsistent and investigators noticed she had blood on her shirt and shoes, the affidavit said.

Ariel also was at the center of a custody dispute between his mother and grandmother, local ABC affiliate KOMO reported. Court records reportedly said Ariel’s grandmother filed a petition for guardianship two days before he went missing.

“I love my grandson, and I want to protect him from whatever his mom is capable of while she is on drugs. He trusts me and feels safe with me. Since I have cared for Ariel all these years, I am already aware of his needs,” his grandmother reportedly wrote in an affidavit.

The grandmother went on to say that Garcia is “not capable of parenting” while on drugs and has been exhibiting “very violent and unpredictable” behavior, the petition said. Garcia also would allegedly leave Ariel and another child alone without supervision so she could go to the bar and drink alcohol.

Garcia was taken to the Snohomish County Jail where she’s being held on a $3 million bond .

“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 Chief of Police John DeRousse said in a statement.

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