Repeat felon charged in vehicular homicide of 42-year-old man, injuring 5-year-old boy in Seattle

A prolific offender with multiple convictions in Washington State and elsehwere has been charged with crashing into another vehicle while driving a stolen truck and fleeing from the scene in a crash that killed a 42-year-old father and put his 5-year-old son in the hospital with multiple skull fractures that required surgery.
 
According to King County prosecutors, on Feb. 25 Pedro Garcia (32) plowed into the car driven by 42-year-old Oscar Morales Saucedo at S 128th Street and 22nd Ave S in SeaTac, Washington then fled on foot leaving behind a sawed-off shotgun.

The father and son were taken to Harborview Medical Center where the dad succumbed to his injuries.

According to court documents, King County deputies saw Garcia walking his dogs and then getting into a stolen vehicle. They followed but did not pursue the suspect before he allegedly sped down a street in Burien, running a stop sign and hitting the other vehicle.

Garcia fled to Spanaway where he borrowed a white Toyota Corolla and headed south.

A Lewis County Trooper found the suspect sleeping in the parked Corolla at a rest stop on southbound I-5 where he was taken into custody.

According to court documents, he did not plan on surrendering even after being encouraged to do so by his ex-girlfriend and family members.

He has been charged with Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, and Felony Hit and Run and is being held in the King County jail on $550,000 bail.

Garcia was previously arrested in October for reckless driving and eluding an officer.

During that incident, Garcia allegedly drove toward officers in Burien and almost hit a woman and her dog, then crashed into the front driver's side of a police vehicle, a dumpster, and a fence. 

According to court documents, as he continued to evade pursuit, Garcia hit multiple marked and unmarked police cruisers. After the tires blew out on his vehicle he fled on foot. That’s when officers arrested him and found that he had a baggie of meth as well as two active warrants for his arrest.

Garcia had been ordered to report to the Pretrial Assessment and Linkage Services program (PALS) on Nov. 9 for intake for Substance Use Disorder treatment despite having a long criminal history.

On Jan. 2, a Notice of Violation was submitted for Garcia for failing to obtain the recommended treatment, and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

Garcia has had seven misdemeanor convictions for vehicle prowl and one for violating a no-contact order. He also has felony convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm and taking a motor vehicle without permission and has had 21 warrants for his arrest.

According to Fox 13, he also has felony convictions in Texas. A friend of Garcia's told the outlet that he spiraled into addiction and has been living on the streets.

On Wednesday, the Democrat-controlled Legislature finally held hearings on Initiative 2113 which would restore reasonable police pursuits.

Washington currently tops the US in stolen vehicles. Insurance rates have skyrocketed along with the rate of stolen cars after the Democratic-controlled Washington State Legislature banned police from pursuing suspects in 2021.