A preliminary hearing has begun for the tragic death of a three-year-old girl who died in 2021 after her mother, grandfather and uncle performed an alleged exorcism on her.
The trio believed the child had a demon in her because they felt she may have seen something sinister on her mother’s phone, deciding she needed to have a demon cast out of her.
The child’s family performed the supposed exorcism at a small Pentecostal church in San Jose, California. Her mother, Claudia Hernandez, her uncle, Rene “Aaron” Hernandez Santos, her grandfather, Rene Trigueros Hernandez, have all been charged collectively for felony child abuse. Rene Trigueros Hernandez is reported by KRON4 to be the church’s pastor.
It was determined that the child, Arely, died by asphyxiation from the supposed exorcism rituals that her relatives performed. She had been strangled, smothered and suffocated. As KRON4 reported, prosecutors said, “evidence shows that the three…were praying, strangling, and pushing on the child’s 38-pound body to cause her vomit up the evil spirit.” Injuries were found all over the child’s body from the gruesome experience.
The Hastings Tribune and The Mercury News also cited the coroner’s report determined, “…she had pressure put on her body, on her torso from the front and back, with so much force applied that she lost consciousness.”
About 14 hours after Hernandez first told her brother they were to perform the exorcism on Arely, the child was found dead by firefighters.
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The San Jose Police Department Lt. J.J. Vallejo discussed at the hearing a recorded conversation where Arely’s mother said to her uncle that God had taken her and “it’s going to look like we intended to kill her, but we did not.”
Before Hernandez was arrested for her daughter’s death, she had posted videos of herself on YouTube talking about the situation.
“It’s many reasons why God took her. At least she’s not suffering…She’s in a better place. God knows why He allowed these things,” Hernandez said.
Trigueros Hernandez’s defense attorney, Dana Fite, made the argument that the child’s murder was not intended.
“None of these individuals said they intended to kill Arely, correct?” Fite asked. “In essence, they were trying to help her, to get rid of the demon, correct?”
The preliminary hearing will determine if enough evidence exists to move forward with a trial. It is expected to last until March 25.
This case shows that deliverance abuse is real and violent actions and murders should never be condoned in the name of casting out a demon.
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Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator for Charisma Media.
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