Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- A West Valley mother, Petrice Garcia, faces charges of attempted murder.
- Her 7-year-old son, injured and bloodied, sought help from neighbors.
- Neighbors intervened, aiding the child and detaining Garcia until police arrived.
WEST VALLEY CITY — A 35-year-old mother has been charged after her 7-year-old boy was found bloodied and going door to door seeking help.
Petrice Shirley Marie Garcia was charged on Thursday in 3rd District Court with attempted aggravated murder and disarming a police officer, first-degree felonies, three counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony, and trespassing, a class A misdemeanor.
West Valley police were called to investigate a possible child abuse situation on May 3, after learning a 7-year-old boy's mother "tried to kill him by hitting him on the head with a statue and drowning him," according to charging documents.
"Witnesses stated that the child was walking from home to home looking for assistance. The child was found by witnesses who stated the child was covered in blood and soaked with water," a police booking affidavit states.
A neighbor "then observed Garcia come out of her house and state, 'Call the cops, I tried killing my son,'" the charges state. Garcia entered the neighbor's house not wearing any clothes before fighting with the neighbor and being pushed out.
Another neighbor told police he saw the boy "running down the street asking for help" and noticed he "had blood all over his face, head and shirt," according to the charges.
He then "saw Garcia running down the street fully nude" before coming up to that neighbor and assaulting him, the charges state. The neighbor "tackled Garcia to the ground and held her until the police arrived."
After Garcia was in custody, she was taken to a local hospital where she hit a nurse and then touched the grip of an officer's gun in an apparent attempt to grab it as he fought to restrain her, the charges state.
At the woman's house, detectives "found a bathtub filled with water. In the water was a broken statue weighing 3-5 pounds. There was considerable blood around and on the bathtub. (The boy) reported he 'escaped mom.' (He) explained that Garcia broke two statues, dragged him by the hand and tried to kick him out of the house," according to the charges.
Garcia then threw the boy into the bathtub and tried to drown him, prosecutors say.
The boy suffered "a mild traumatic brain injury, multiple scalp lacerations that required closure with 15 staples, and a forehead laceration that required four sutures. (He) also sustained bruises and abrasions on his ankles, his right shin, his right upper thigh, his right hand and wrist, his left third knuckle and his right forearm," the charges state.
"The allegations in this case are disturbing, but the way the child's neighbors stepped in to help demonstrates the strength of our community to come together in a crisis," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said Thursday. "If you are struggling as a parent, please reach out for support. Asking for help is a sign of strength."
Garcia was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail under the name Petrice Gustafson.
"(She) has an extensive criminal history, including multiple convictions related to possession of narcotics," and was on probation at the time of her arrest, according to court documents.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
Help with Children
Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:
- The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
- Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
- The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
- The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.
