Per reports, the then- 45-year-old mother, Kimberly, was reportedly arrested for allegedly biting, beating, and choking her 11-year-old daughter while performing a ritual, officials said. The mother and her daughter were at a secluded beach, where she undressed the girl and shoved sand into her mouth and eyes before a witness intervened. According to the statement, about 10 to 12 people were watching the attack.
According to one of the witnesses, Michael, the mother reportedly said that she was removing demons from her daughter. Marciel tried to restrain the mother, who kept hitting the girl’s head with a piece of driftwood. Marciel remained on the phone with the 911 operator as he tried to subdue the mother and push her to the ground. Deputies who responded were able to separate mother and daughter and handcuff the 45-year-old woman.
Speaking to The Associated Press, Marciel said: “She questioned me about my faith.” Kimberly was taken into custody pending investigations into charges of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, child abuse, and aggravated mayhem. The girl sustained multiple injuries, including severe damage to her right ear. According to Sgt. Allen, she will be placed in protective child custody.
According to authorities, the mother would have probably killed the girl had Marciel not intervened. Marciel, who was at the beach with some out-of-town visitors, stated that he was happy he managed to stop the attack. “The worst thing was when we got the child away and into the sheriff’s truck, she said people drove by and nobody stopped,” he said. “When you see something like this, it shakes your foundation and faith in people.” Allen stated that results from Kimberly’s toxicology test were still pending. We are republishing this story in light of recent reports that show child abuse has significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
