Child snatched from SA park, drugged, raped, nearly sold for drugs, affidavit says

Laura Garcia charged with aggravated kidnapping, trafficking of a child

SAN ANTONIOWARNING: Details in this story are graphic and may be disturbing to some audiences. Reader discretion is advised.

A 35-year-old woman is charged with aggravated kidnapping and trafficking of a child after she and an unnamed man snatched an 11-year-old boy from a San Antonio park, drugged him, sexually assaulted him and attempted to sell him for more narcotics, a Texas Department of Public Safety arrest affidavit obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders says.

Laura Garcia is accused of kidnapping the boy on or around Feb. 22. An affidavit says the child was playing with a friend at the park when Garcia and a man came up to him and pretended to be his parents, telling him it was time to go home.

When the child refused to go with them, an affidavit says, they grabbed him and dragged him to a nearby apartment that had "a lot of drugs and needles around." 

The child's friend told investigators he didn't tell authorities about the abduction because he thought Garcia and the man were the boy's parents.

The child told investigators that when they got inside the apartment, Garcia held him down on a bed and he began screaming for help, but the unidentified male threatened him with a knife.

According to the affidavit, Garcia pulled down the boy's pants and the man began fondling him. The child said Garcia told him he was "almost there" after injecting him with drugs.

He said he knew that the drugs made him sleep for a very long time, because it was daylight when he was abducted and when he woke up, it was dark outside.

The 11-year-old told investigators that when he awoke, he felt very sore between his legs and didn't want to walk, but wanted to get out of the apartment. 

He told authorities that he believes the attack was captured on camera because of the way others in the apartment were "holding their phones in the air."

The child said he overheard a phone conversation and believes someone tried to sell him to a drug dealer in exchange for drugs.

The child was shown a photo lineup and identified Garcia and others as having been involved in his kidnapping, rape and drugging.

Garcia was arrested Friday.

A spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety said the department would not release any information regarding the location of the alleged incident or how the child escaped as it would interfere with their ongoing investigation and possibly hinder forthcoming arrests.

Public records, however, show that Garcia was arrested at a home in the 100 block of St. Christopher Walk, which is across the street from two West Side parks:  Father Albert Benavides Park and Vidaurri Park.


About the Authors

Emmy-award winning reporter Dillon Collier joined KSAT Investigates in September 2016. Dillon's investigative stories air weeknights on the Nightbeat and on the Six O'Clock News. Dillon is a two-time Houston Press Club Journalist of the Year and a Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Reporter of the Year.

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