Latest on missing Everett child found dead

What we know so far about the death of 4-year-old Ariel Garcia

A grandmother was granted emergency custody of her 4-year-old grandchild just days before the child was reported missing and later found dead, court documents reveal. The child's mother was recently arrested for his murder.

EVERETT, Wash. - A grandmother was granted emergency custody of her 4-year-old grandchild just days before the child was reported missing and later found dead, court documents reveal. The child's mother was recently arrested for his murder.

On March 25, Ariel Garcia's grandmother filed for "emergency minor guardianship," claiming that the child's mother "has a long history of alcohol and substance abuse that has gotten worse in the last few months."

The grandmother also wrote that her daughter's behavior "has become very violent and unpredictable," according to court documents.

Ariel was last seen barely two days after the court filing-- on March 27 at 7 a.m. Police said he was missing under "suspicious circumstances" with a family member.

The grandmother asked the court to give limited or no visitation to the child's mother, citing physical child abuse.

According to the Everett Herald, the child's grandmother feared his mother "may harm me or try to run away with Ariel and harm him in the process," if she knew of the custody case.

Washington State Patrol issued an endangered missing person alert for Ariel in the early hours of March 28-- several hours after he was last seen. This was just an alert that went out on social media.

Officials said the case did not meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert.

A statewide alert was sent out to people's phones on Thursday, March 28, just before 6 p.m. The child's body was found just minutes before the alert went out.

Everett boy found dead: What happened leading up to his death

The child's mother was arrested in Clark County, around the time the initial missing endangered person alert went out.

Deputies brought her in for questioning about her son's disappearance.

A friend told investigators that Ariel and his mother were staying with her. When the friend returned home on the 27th, she saw a "substantial" amount of blood on the floor, but Ariel and his mother were no where to be seen.

When investigators mentioned this to the mother, she told them that Ariel fell off a bed and hit his head, which is why there was blood on the floor. She also told them that she had dropped Ariel off at an apartment in Seattle before getting a bus ticket to Ridgefield, Wash. in Clark County.

She indicated that she left her car in Seattle. However, her vehicle was found in Clark County. The vehicle found matched the description of what investigators told the public to look out for.

She was initially arrested for making a false statement to a public servant.

On March 29, Everett Police announced that she was arrested for first-degree murder, second-degree murder and first-degree assault of a child. This was in connection to Ariel's disappearance and death.

She has been booked into Snohomish County Jail as of Friday night.

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner will determine the boy's cause and manner of death, and release details at a later date.

A GoFundMe for the child's funeral expenses has been created.