3-year-old girl who died was allegedly subject to exorcism at California church; mother and other fa

Source: CBS/AP

3-year-old girl who died was allegedly subject to exorcism at California church; mother and other family members charged

UPDATED ON: MAY 13, 2022 / 6:07 PM / CBS/AP

A 3-year-old girl whose death last fall has been ruled a homicide was the subject of an alleged exorcism last year at a Northern California church, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

The child, Arely Naomi Proctor, died last September after family members performed a ceremony to "liberate her of her evil spirits," church officials told the San Jose Mercury News. The Santa Clara County medical examiner's office ruled the death a homicide caused by asphyxiation.

Police said the girl's uncle, grandfather, and mother, Claudia Hernandez, were charged with child abuse leading to her death, CBS Bay Area reported.

"[Hernandez] strangled her multiple times to the point where the victim went unconscious, she stuck her hands down her throat, and continued this course of conduct for almost a full day," deputy district attorney Rebekah Wise wrote in court documents obtained by KRON.

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Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/arely-naomi-proctor-death-alleged-exorcism-san-jose-church/