Mother charged for alleged child abuse after 7-year-old found with blood on face

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Charges have now been filed against a woman for alleged child abuse after her 7-year-old son was found with blood on his face and shirt.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced Thursday that Petrice Shirley Mary Garcia is now facing a first-degree felony attempted aggravated murder charge, three counts of aggravated child abuse, criminal trespassing, and disarming a police officer.

On May 3, police were called when a neighbor reported finding the young boy with blood on his face. The neighbor had told police that Garcia came out of her house and said, “Call the cops, I tried killing my son.”

A witness told police that they saw the boy run down the street and ask for help. The witness allegedly saw Garcia running down the street fully nude before being assaulted. He then tackled Garcia and held her on the ground until police arrived.

The child told police that his mother had hit him over the head with a statue and tried to drown and strangle him. When she allegedly stopped attacking the boy for a moment, he told police that he ran to his grandmother’s bedroom and hid under the bed, and then later escaped through the back of the house, as Garcia was guarding the front door.

Upon entering her home, police found a bathtub full of water that Garcia had allegedly tried to drown the child in. In the bathtub was also a broken statue weighing 3-5 pounds. Garcia and the boy were taken to two separate hospitals.

At the hospital, Garcia allegedly hit a nurse and pulled her hair. A police officer tried to restrain her, to which she reportedly tried to grab his gun and said, “You’re going to have to kill me.”

According to medical records, the child suffered a mild traumatic brain injury, multiple scalp lacerations that needed 15 staples, and a forehead laceration that required four sutures.

“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. If you are struggling as a parent, please reach out for support. Asking for help is a sign of strength,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.

“We thank detectives at the West Valley City Police Department who conducted a thorough investigation and collected the necessary evidence that led to the filing of these charges. All persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law,” he said.

According to West Valley City, the 7-year-old was released from the hospital and is with family.