Cristina Garcia’s young son called 911 to say that his mother was dead
A Missouri man faces charges after allegedly killing his wife and then dousing their house with gasoline with their two young children inside, say police.
Gregory Smith III, 40, of Hazelwood, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife, Cristina Garcia, 37, armed criminal action and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, the Hazelwood Police Department says in a statement.
On Monday at 4:21 a.m., police responded to the couple’s home after their son called 911 saying that his mother was deceased, according to police.
Garcia’s young son Malik “was the brave little soul who called 911 hoping someone would get there in time to save her,” Garcia Smith’s aunt, Monica Pola, wrote in a GoFundMe she set up for the couple’s children.
When officers arrived at the home, they found the boy and his baby sister inside, along with their mother, “the victim of an apparent homicide,” police say in the statement.
Smith allegedly “beat, stomped and then used a knife to kill the victim,” according to police.
Afterward, Smith allegedly doused the home in gasoline with the couple’s two children inside.
Smith had already fled the scene when officers got to the house.
“The investigation revealed this incident was a result of domestic violence,” say police in the statement.
At-large warrants were issued for Smith’s arrest.
Hours after the slaying, Smith he was taken into custody and remains held at the St. Louis County Justice Center without bond. It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf or if he has entered a plea.
As police continue to investigate, Garcia Smith’s family is reeling from her death.
In the GoFundMe set up to help Garcia’s children and to defray funeral costs, Garcia’s aunt wrote that the tragedy “has forever broken a family and left the children to live a life without the one person whose lot in life was to give them unconditional love.”
Garcia “was a beautiful, kind, and loving mother of two when tragedy struck on that horrific morning of September 4, 2022,” Pola wrote.
The goal of the GoFundMe “is to pay for current expenses of funeral services, costs of bringing their momma home to Yakima, Wa and setting up a small trust to help with any of their future costs,” Pola wrote.
“Help us create a new story for Malik and Sama. A story where their tragedy can turn into triumph.”
