WASHINGTON — The mother and uncle of Jack Garcia have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder and child abuse, according to the Hagerstown Police Department.
Oriana Garcia and Jacob Barajas were taken into custody on Monday. Detectives learned Garcia and Barajas were planning to return to the West Coast, where they’re from originally.
Garcia was charged for not allowing first-responders to provide medical treatment to her son after knowing Robert Wilson, her 30-year-old boyfriend, assaulted him.
Court documents reveal gruesome new details about the extent of physical abuse. A doctor concluded that Jack Garcia’s injuries were consistent with torture and that he was beaten over separate incidents. The consult note from Children’s National Hospital describes extensive head injuries, bruising and abrasions.
According to the court papers, Oriana Garcia told investigators they regularly handcuffed Jack for hours to teach him not to steal. Most often he was trying to take food, she said. She also told investigators that Wilson would strike Jack in the leg with a “wooden sword thing,” which was a piece of bamboo shaped like a sword.
Barajas also admitted to using a bike lock to keep his nephew strapped to a dining chair.
Wilson also “sparred” with the young boy as a form of discipline, Barahas told investigators. He didn’t wear gloves as he hit the boy.
Jack Garcia died after he was allegedly handcuffed and beaten for eating a piece of birthday cake without permission.
The cake was said to be for Wilson’s baby daughter.
Barajas told investigators that he handcuffed the 9-year-old and Wilson proceeded to beat him.
Jack was yelling “please stop,” Barajas told investigators.
After Barajas removed the handcuffs, Wilson continued hitting the boy in the stomach with a palm strike until he became unresponsive, the documents say.
Hagerstown police Capt. Paul Kifer says Garcia died Sunday at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington.
Wilson was charged Wednesday with first-degree assault and child abuse. His public defender hasn’t returned calls from The Associated Press.
