A woman was arrested after she took her three year old daughter to a church for an attempted exorcism that led to the child's death.
In San Jose, California, a small Pentecostal church confirmed that a three year old child had died after an attempted exorcism conducted in September 2021. At about 6:30 pm one day that Fall, a three year old girl named Arely Naomi Proctor was brought to Iglesia Apostoles y Profetas by her mother, Claudia Hernandez and her uncle. Hernandez claimed that the child was "possessed by an evil spirit" because she would often wake up in the middle of the night screaming and crying.
According to the Christian Headlines, an attempted exorcism was carried out on Proctor by Hernandez, her uncle and grandfather, and church pastor Rene Huezo. But the three year old child died 12 hours after the ritual.
Police Report Reveals Grim Details About the 3 Year Old Child's Death
The San Jose Police report revealed that the department was notified of a three year old child's death at about 8:12 in the evening of September 24. Paramedics found the child lying on the floor of the church and began life saving methods and was taken to Valley Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 8:59 p.m.
The three year old child was taken to the Pentecostal church at 1094 S 2nd St, in San Jose at around 6:30 a.m. on September 24. Hernandez said that she held her daughter by her waist and heck to help her throw up because she believed that it would help the spirit that possessed her child to get out. Once at the church, the child's grandfather also arrived to help them in prayer.
Hernandez, Proctor's uncle and grandfather were all holding her down as they attempted to induce vomiting. The report said that, "One individual was holding the victim by the neck, while one held her around her abdomen, and the last held her around her legs."
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The police report also revealed that Hernandez had "attempted to stick her finger down" the child's throat and "squeezed the victim's neck to induce vomiting." The three year old child "fell asleep several times" while Hernandez "pushed down" on the child's throat "with her hand." Hernandez also described her daughter "sustaining bruising around her eyes, throat, neck, and chest." the child eventually vomited a "clear/purple liquid." Hernandez also admitted that they did not perform any medical assistance nor call 911 when the child died.
The police report found that Proctor's last intake was the day before the attempted exorcism took place at around 9:00 p.m. She only had about 6 oz of water up until the time of her death.
Mother Arrested for Death of Her Daughter
In January, California police arrested Hernandez on felony child abuse charges following the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's office's decision to rule Proctor's death a homicide.
Pastor Huezo claimed to Mercury News that they were merely trying to follow Biblical instructions on how to rid a body of demons. He said that in the Bible, "Jesus casts away demons and made sick people healthy again." But he explained that it only happens when it's God's will to "heal the person."
In a Youtube video posted on January 27, Hernandez talked about the death of her three year old daughter, saying, "It is what it is." She now faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of felony child abuse, KSN Local News reported. She is currently imprisoned with no bail.
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