Rep. Couture tells Fox 13 Everett boy's murder highlights gaps in WA's child protection system

In the wake of the horrific murder of 4-year-old Ariel Garcia last week Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, joined Fox 13 to discuss the child welfare system in Washington state. Garcia's mother was arrested for the murder, which happened as Garcia's grandmother was awarded temporary emergency custody of the boy after telling the court his mother was hooked on alcohol and meth, would disappear for days, and often get violent. The mother fled with the 4-year-old before the grandmother could get him. His body was found along I-5 in Pierce County. Couture has been fighting for stricter laws that make it easier for courts to remove a child from a home where a parent or guardian is using hard drugs like fentanyl, heroin, and meth.