A Worrying Call
Officers have just arrived at the home of Ariel Garcia's family. The man here, Ariel's uncle Isaiah, has just come home from work to find his nephew missing. All that remains is a dark, unsettling splotch of blood on the carpet. This is a disappearance that Isaiah knows exactly who is responsible for: his own sister. "My sister, she's been on the loose," he tells the officers. He believes Janet Garcia, Ariel's mother, is the one who took him. Right now, she is on the run, and the police have no idea where Ariel is or what has happened to him. What follows is the beginning of an extensive, desperate manhunt.
All Resources Deployed
At this point, the police are sending every available resource into finding Janet. They need to detain her until they can get a straight story out of her. "Because if anyone ever wants to see Ariel ever again, they must catch up to Janet," an officer states, looking down at the uncle's shoes. "Got some blood drops on your shoes, yeah," the officer notes. The family is terrified. They would rather know the brutal truth than listen to a story that doesn't make any sense. The clock is ticking, and a little boy's life hangs in the balance.
The Missin
It is a calm, gray day in Ridgefield, Washington, when law enforcement receives a worrying call from a man named Isaiah. It is March 3rd, 2024. Isaiah claims he has not seen his sister's son, little Ariel, in days, and he is growing deeply worried for the boy's safety. According to Isaiah, the mother, Janet Garcia, has simply vanished into thin air. Her last known words to the family were that Ariel had hurt himself, and she had rushed him to a hospital. But things are more complicated than that. Because of a bitter, strained relationship with her family, Janet has been keeping everyone in the dark. Whenever anyone tries to text or call her, asking where Ariel is and if he is safe, she ignores them completely.
The Uncle's Account
This silence concerned Isaiah greatly. Smelling something deeply suspicious, officers immediately arrived at his home to meet with him and collect more information. "How's it going, boss?" an officer asks, introducing himself. "My name's Austin police. Just got to let you know, this will be recorded. What's going on?" Isaiah takes a deep breath. "Uh, well, my sister... I mean, she's been on the loose," he says. "I guess he's been doing drugs or whatever. My mom's been trying to fight for the guardianship, I guess, or custody. Whatever's going on." He explains that his sister has been missing for a couple of days now. Her name is Ariel Garcia, and he was supposed to be staying here, at this house, last night.
A Spot of Blood
"Okay," the officer says. "Yeah, well, it's an ex-boyfriend's mom, if that makes sense. So, she stayed here. The lady had left to go to work, and then whenever she came back, she saw a big old spot of blood." The officer asks if he can see a picture, and Isaiah nods. The information he shares is deeply concerning. Did Ariel really just injure himself, or has something far more sinister happened here? It is tough to say right now, but the officer needs every scrap of information he can get. Thankfully, two more people arrive to help: Janet's mother, and another family member. They assist the investigation by producing a restraining order they had filed against Janet. But that is not the most unsettling part of this conversation.
The Guardianship Order
"Your support would truly mean the world to me," the officer says, examining the documents. "Is that the order? Mixed up? Right here." He looks at the paper. "So what kind of order is this?" he asks. "It is an emergency minor guardianship," the grandmother replies. The officer reads further. "And then in here, it says that she has to stay away. Stay in Washington." He looks up. "Nissan Sentra. Does that sound right?" he asks. "Yeah, a Nissan," Isaiah confirms. The officer asks for more details. "What time was the last time someone heard from your sister?" he asks. "Your mom said she told her yesterday, around today. She texted her. I'm not sure what time, but I'm pretty sure."
The Hospital Claim
"Okay," the officer says. "And then she replied, saying, 'That's for my kid. He fell. I took him to the hospital.' Yeah, here it is." He looks at the phone. "Has anyone confirmed that she's at the hospital?" he asks. "Uh, yes. Their sister called the hospital, probably other hospitals around the area. So, sometimes they won't tell you, right? Patient confidentiality." As of right now, there is no way to be sure if little Ariel is really at the hospital, as Janet claimed. With limited leads, the officer decides to conduct a welfare check at the apartment where the blood stain was found. While they wait to see if anyone is home, Isaiah reveals a vital piece of information about where Janet is currently located.
The Rehab Center Lead
"So, her phone goes straight to voicemail," the officer says. "Have you guys tried calling her at all today?" "Yeah, she's, um, I guess she's at rehab in Vancouver," Isaiah says. "But they say that her son's with her. So, we... Oh, Janet's in rehab right now, I guess. So, I guess she turned herself in today. She checked in. Yeah. Today. Yeah. I'm as confused as you are. But they said the kids were not with her. Yeah. Well, they went... Hello? So, in Vancouver, like Washington. Vancouver, Washington. Have you guys confirmed that she's down there? Yeah, she called. She called like 20 minutes ago. She called my mom."
A Troubling Discovery
"Okay. Did your mom have a name for the rehab place? Yeah." The police then make a series of big discoveries. First, after calling the rehab center that Janet reportedly turned herself into, an alleged volunteer answers the call. He confirms that Janet has indeed been there. However, he does not seem to know if Ariel is with her or not. After that, they discover something even more troubling: Ariel had been put up for adoption only recently. Could she be giving her youngest away so he is not also taken away by the courts? Thinking there may be an answer inside the apartment, the cops proceed to search its interior.
The Crimson Stain
Eventually, they come across an unsettling sight. "Does she mind if we look around?" the officer asks. "Ever please," the grandmother says. "Are you Everett police?" They step inside. "Did you say how the kid hit his head, or whatever? What would the kid have hit?" an officer asks. "That's what I'm saying. I don't see blood anywhere on anything. Maybe this... That's a lot of blood." The police find a crimson stain in the carpet. It is likely the one Isaiah had been referring to. But the more the officers think about it, the more unrealistic this whole explanation becomes. How could this be the result of a child simply hitting his head on a carpeted floor? Whether an accident happened here or not is impossible to say, but the stain is a sure sign that someone has lost a lot of blood.
A History of Violence
The fact that Janet has allegedly gone to a sketchy, remote location that is supposed to be a rehab center is deeply suspicious. Upon looking into her criminal history, the police discover that this is not the first time law enforcement has been contacted about her behavior. One violent outburst of hers resulted in her eldest son being sent to the hospital. With all of these findings in mind, a full-scale manhunt for both Ariel and Janet is launched. An Amber Alert for a missing victim goes out, and officers begin searching the surrounding areas in droves.
Janet Answers
Up to this point, attempts to contact Janet over the phone have been unsuccessful. Tracking her exact location has been nearly impossible. No one seems to know where she has gone. But when they call her phone number just before 2 p.m., she finally answers. Now, they have an opportunity to ask her directly what is going on. "Okay. Where are you at?" the officer asks. "Alcoholics Anonymous in Vancouver," Janet replies. "Do you have an address?" "Um, I don't have an address. Okay. So, you don't know where you are? No. Okay. Where's your son?" "He's not with me. Okay. Who is he staying with?" "He's staying with someone else, and I can't give you information because I just can't give you his information."
Red Flags
"Janet, you see how that's concerning to the police?" the officer asks. "Yes," she replies. "Okay. So, why can't you just give us where he's at?" "Because I don't know where he's at," she says. "Okay. Do you have a name of the person he's staying with?" "Um, Alicia. Alicia. What? Alicia." The call is full of red flags. The family has already made it clear that the hospital she allegedly took Ariel to has no record of him ever being there. Beyond that, she says she dropped him off with a mysterious "Alicia Bond." A person that the cops have never heard of. As the call continues, the officer reminds her of the severity of the situation and asks for her cooperation.
A Dead End Call
Although none of this seems to concern her in the slightest. "And if you're not completely forthcoming, which right now you're not, because you know where he's at and you're not telling us, right? That can be an issue for you in the future when you go to court. Do you understand that?" "Okay. So, are you going to tell me where he's at?" "No neighborhood, nothing like that." "No, Janet, it's extremely concerning that you're not being forthcoming to me, okay?" Janet has offered little of value and abruptly ends the call without warning. Thankfully, the police have a lead. Janet is eventually traced to a recovery center in Clark County, Nevada, nearly 1,000 miles away from where she claimed to be.
Blood on Her Shoes
After her belongings are searched, the deputies calmly speak to her. They remain cautious, not wanting her to become aggressive or paranoid. But just as they begin to speak, one of them spots something unsettling on her shoes. "So, I see you got some blood drops on your shoes," the officer says. "Yeah," Janet replies. "So my son fell this morning, earlier. Oh no. Yeah. But I was able to take him to the doctor's and everything was okay. I took him to another lady so she could watch him for me, because I wasn't staying at home. I had problems with my parents, and they didn't let me in the house. So I was staying with another lady. She was super sweet."
A Strange Explanation
"That's where my son fell," Janet continues. "And then we left. So I was like, 'Okay.' You know, I went to another lady's house, and I told her if she could watch him for me. I wanted to come get myself together. I'm an alcoholic. So I was like, 'If you can watch them for me for three months, that'd be amazing, because I'm not talking to my mom, and she's the one that has a notarized paper saying she has legal custody of them.' But I have legal custody of them. She's not letting me see my older son. So I'm... that would be really hard. Yeah, I'm a little bit upset about that one. So, I'm here now, and everything's okay."
The Story Unravels
The sight of blood on her own clothing does not seem to faze Janet at all. She is calm and collected, completely unbothered by Ariel's supposed injury. Despite the unsettling sight, the deputies maintain their poker faces as they prod further. And Janet is about to completely fumble her story. "Well, we just want to make sure that he's safe and know where he is," the officer says. "Who's the friend that you left him with?" "Um, I left him with another lady. I don't have her information." "Oh, well, that's not going to cut it. We got to figure out where he's at. Where can you tell me a location where somebody could go and check on him and make sure he's okay?" "In the SeaTac area." "Okay. Seattle. More specific." "I don't have an address. Nothing."
The Phantom Friend
"Who's the friend? How do you know the person?" the officer presses. "She's a long-time friend that I know," Janet says. "Okay. What's her name?" "Um, Alika. That's all I know. Alika Bone." "Okay. And you've known her for a long time. So, how did you reach out to her?" "I reached out to her because I needed help." "How did you reach out to her?" "Um, I found her number on my old Facebook, but I no longer have a Facebook anymore." "Okay. Is it something you sign back into?" "No. No, you deleted it all. I delete it all the time. So, yeah. You found it today on your old Facebook, and her name is Alika. Alika Bone. Like B-O-N-E. Okay. And she lives in the SeaTac area."
Impossible Timeline
The officer clears his throat. "So you drove him from the first house you were at to her house, or to the doctor first?" he asks. "Mhm. What doctor did you take him to?" "Swedish," Janet says. "Swedish. And that's it. Swedish. Where? Or I think it's Providence, actually. Providence in Everett. In Everett. Providence. Okay. You understand? We just need to make sure that he's okay, and then we can leave you be, you know?" "Yeah. Okay. So, how do we find Alika?" "I don't know." "Can you describe to me how you got there from Providence?" "So, I just drove from there to Seattle, and that's it." "You drove from Providence to Seattle to Alika's house? Yes." "Okay. Did you drive on the freeway?" "Mhm."
Contradictions Mount
"Okay. How long did it take you to get there?" "Like two hours." "Two hours. And what car were you driving?" "My car." "So, just like an hour or so. And what kind of car do you have?" "Um, I have a Nissan." "Okay. Where's that car now?" "I don't have it with me." "Okay. So, where's it at?" "Um, I left it at her house, and then I came over here on the bus." "Okay. So, just to clarify: you go from Everett to the hospital in Everett. You get him checked out. You drive to your friend in SeaTac. You leave the car there. You leave him there. And you take a bus from SeaTac down here. Okay. And that all happened today?" "Yes." "It's a pretty expensive ticket to get a bus to come down here." "No, actually it was only like 20 bucks." "Oh, really? Yeah."
Pressing for Answers
Janet is struggling to keep her details consistent. Her supposed friend's surname is now being spelled differently. The address has changed, and the hospital she allegedly dropped Ariel off at is now in a totally different state. Her explanations of how she traveled around in such short notice, while abandoning her vehicle, are too unrealistic to be true. But Janet's wishy-washy excuses are not going to stop these officers from ensuring that Ariel is safe. They try to be more forward with her. "Tell me where he's at so we can make sure that he's okay, or what's going on," the officer says. "So, he's not... I mean, he's there. He's with her. But... tell me how to go check on him. I can give you an address." "Okay. What's the address?" "I don't know. You have to write it down."
A Scribbled Address
"Okay, I can do that. Thank you," the officer says. "Do you have a phone number for her too?" "Um, I don't." "Okay. I don't have a phone number for her. But when he fell, where did he get hurt?" "Just on his head. He fell on the ground and hurt himself. So, I don't know if this is the right one. And Seattle, Washington. So... 345. Yep. 2, I mean, Seattle, Washington. Where did you get that address from just now?" "From the top of my head." "Okay. Yeah. Okay. So that's where you remember leaving him. So yeah, Alika, that's her name. Yeah. Perfect. Alika. How are you guys going to communicate?" "Well, I'm not going to use my phone, because I'm going to be here for the next three months." "Okay. So, if anything, I don't know what else. You didn't discuss that with Alika before you left?" "I... yes, I discussed it with her. I'm going to be here for three months. But before that, I don't speak to my parents because we got into an altercation. So, this is where I'm going to be. Okay, you can give him that address."
A Mother's Composure
Janet's stories about her missing son are still not making sense. Her cheerful explanation of how she pulled him out of the hospital is more than enough to worry the deputies. Due to the unpleasant weather, Janet is offered a seat in the back of a police car, where she continues to chatter away. "You said it took you two hours to get from Providence to your friend's house," the officer says. "Mhm. And you left for there about 10 this morning?" "Yeah." "Okay. Do you know how long you were at the hospital for?" "Um, I was only there for a little bit of time. I didn't want to wait, so I was like, 'Let's go.' Can you describe to me what that Providence looks like? Do you know what road it's on?" "I don't remember. I don't know."
Vague Memories
"Or was there a parking garage or anything?" the officer asks. "I don't remember at the top of my head." "Okay. Do you remember when you walked in? Can you describe to me what it looked like?" "It just... the hospital. Just the hospital." "Okay. But can you describe when you walk in the door? Where was the check-in?" "In the front. I walked in. As soon as I walked in, the front desk was right there. I just said my son had to be seen, and then I gave his name and everything." "Okay. So you wrote it down, or was there a check-in thing?" "There was a check. But I think they checked me in. No. Okay. Yeah. So you didn't write anything on there. Have you been there before?" "No. No, that was my first time. That was my first time."
A Strange Question
"When you checked into the desk, was it just an open desk, or was it behind a glass wall?" the officer asks. "Okay. Was there a lot of people in there?" "Yeah. That's why you didn't want to wait, because it was too long." "Do you think he needed stitches or anything?" "No, he's fine." Since getting a believable answer is proving challenging, the deputies decide the best course of action is to take Janet to the police station for further questioning. Just as they are about to ask, Janet surprises them with a question of her own. "So, if you guys don't locate my son, what's going to happen?" she asks. "That's what we're working on at the moment," the officer replies. "Why do you think they won't be able to locate him? I mean, you got the address in..."
A Ride to the Station
"What's it looking like right now," the officer says, "is that we're going to need to stay with you until we find him. Because it sounds like you said you know where he is. You know where you left him, right? So it shouldn't be an issue. Should be able to locate him. Okay. So that's what we just need to do: stay with you until we locate him." "Okay. Um, I have another favor to ask," Janet says. "Yes." "Because it's raining and it's cold, and I'm shivering. And we're going to be with you for a little bit. Are you listening to me? We're going to be with you for a little bit. Would you mind? We have a precinct right up the road. It's comfortable and dry, and we can all sit in and chat. So we're all out of the rain. Would that be okay?" "Where is it?" "100 Fairgrounds. Yeah, just on 5. And then we can give you a ride back and all of that, if that's okay." "Can I get a coffee from here before we go?" "We got coffee there. We have free coffee."
Concern or Curiosity?
"Yeah, oh yeah, we got coffee," the officer says. "You can grab that seat belt around your back side. And then the only other thing is, when he travels, I just got to put your purse in the front seat right there. Yeah, he's not going to get into it. But we don't like bags where we can't see them." "Thank you." "So that way we can all be dry and comfortable and sit, and you can get some coffee." "Hey, thank you. I appreciate it." "Absolutely. I can stop and get her a coffee or something." As a mother, one would assume she is more concerned about the safety of her missing son. But Janet is more curious than anything about the possibility of the police not finding him. Could she be hoping they will not be able to track Ariel down?
The Disappearing Friend
"Well, I left my son with someone who takes care of kids," Janet says, "and my parents are concerned. My mom... my parents are concerned. So now it's just like: is he safe? Is he not safe? Where's he at? Where is he at? So they're concerned because you're not able to reach her, or because I'm not able to reach her. Yeah. Okay. But it's fine. I mean, it's not fine, right? Because you have to figure this out. So it's starting to get a little bit concerning. I mean, my son is there. My son is there. And if he's not there, I don't know what else we can do from here. But that's not a good address that you're giving us. Then I don't know what else to tell you, because that's where I left my son. Unless he's lost, or unless he's with another person that's hurting him. Then I can understand. But I don't know what else to tell you."
The Navigation Lie
"Okay. So, like I told you earlier, I know that you care about your son. It's very obvious," the officer says. "Mhm. And that's why, and I know that you know where you left him, because you wouldn't just leave him somewhere that you didn't know where he was. So you go back to him." "Of course." "Was he awake when he got out of bed?" "He was awake. Yeah." "Okay. I was checking. So try to... Can you explain to me when you were driving to Seattle? You said it took you like two hours to get there." "One hour to get there. And when I got there, I took him with to the lady, and then I left. And I said, 'Hey, I'm going to be here for three months, and I'm leaving, and that's it.'" "Okay. Took you an hour to get to her house. Mhm. Can you tell me anything like what exit you took? What area you were in? What's around her house?" "I don't remember." "How did you find out how to get there?" "I don't remember. I just drove, and I got there. Oh, I had her address, and then I put it in the navigation. Can I see your navigation?" "Yeah. What do you use for your navigation? Just like Google, or Google maps?" "I don't think that I used the navigation for that one. You can check. Do you have... Do you mind if I look? Do you have ways to... Oh, no. Okay. So, we should just... I just want you to be able to see what we're doing. I don't want to go through your phone without... I did actually use a navigation for that one. Before the address on there."
The Phone Messages
Janet's bout of forgetfulness is not making her seem any more trustworthy. Neither is her dismissive attitude about not being able to contact the person who is apparently watching over Ariel. No forewarning was made, no request in advance. She just seemed to drop him off to be looked after for a year. The conversation then shifts towards the texts on her phone. Despite her confusing information, Janet is at least willing to let the detectives look at her messages. As they are about to find out, a lot of people have been demanding answers. "Jenna, do you mind if I look through your messages?" the officer asks. "I feel like you're having a hard time remembering things, and I don't know if you're in shock or what's going on, but maybe that could help us find something. Yeah. Would that be okay?" "Mhm. Okay. Do you mind if I see it?" "Yeah. And see, this is where my son fell. But you can check. You can check. I'm sorry. You can check my phone." "I appreciate it. I'll put it right here. Um, who is this number that you deleted?" "I have no idea. Recently deleted. Do you mind if I look at those?" "Um, I do mind. Is there a reason?" "I mean, I'm not hiding anything, but... I know. It's just a fair question. Let's out of there. So, literally, this is just like my friend texting me. This is my brother text me the address to where your son's at. This is my sister. Please tell me where. So, this is the address where your son is at. I haven't texted him anything. I haven't replied to him. My mom. We've been fighting over the kids and over her opening the door. Mom, open the door. I'm outside. Mom, open the door. Open the door. And she's just like done with me. And then this is my friend. He's like, 'Your mom's concerned. You need to text back. This is the police that I've been calling over and over.' Um, today I called them today. There's just no way that today you went from Everett to Seattle and met Anita without contacting her somehow and making some kind of arrangement for your son. Right. I don't know why you say there's no way, if it happened. So, I don't know what else to tell you. Well, you told me you went on your Facebook and found her phone number, right? But then I deleted my Facebook. So, I don't know now. Just... So that's my sister like, 'Hey, where's your son? Where's your son? I need him.' She's going to fly out in two days. So I can't wait for that to happen. From Pasadena. From Pasadena. She's flying out. Ariel is your son. Ariel."