According to newly filed court documents, a 3-year-old child struggled to survive and attempted to flee a California church where her mother, uncle, and grandfather conducted an exorcism to banish a “demon.”
A 50-page memorandum filed by the Santa Clara County District Attorney on April 3 shed light on what happened before, during, and after Arely Naomi Proctor Hernandez’s death.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the family allegedly performed the ceremony to “liberate her of her evil spirits.”
The victim passed away in September 2021 when firefighters discovered her dead and injured “on the alter of the church,” KRON 4 reports.
Arely’s mother, Claudia Elisa Hernandez, allegedly told investigators she believed that her daughter was possessed after noticing abnormal behavior and appearance.
“Arely looked different. Her eyes were different. They looked empty and it ‘wasn’t her,’” she reportedly told an officer, adding that when her daughter screamed, it didn’t sound like her usual voice.
Hernandez said she visited the church after her daughter bit her finger while she attempted to induce the victim to vomit. Hernandez’s brother, Rene “Aaron” Hernandez Santos, told police that he possessed “divine gifts” and tried to help.
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The duo then initiated attempts to induce vomiting in Arely by inserting their fingers and hands into her throat, restraining her by the neck, torso, and legs for several hours. The incident resulted in “numerous injuries around her eyes, face, neck, and chest,” according to court documents.
At 12:20 p.m., the victim’s grandfather and pastor of the church, Rene Trigueros Hernandez, 60, arrived to assist with the exorcism.
“If you read the Bible, you’ll see that Jesus casts away demons and made sick people healthy again,” the pastor told Mercury News. “It’s not when I want to do it, it’s when God, in his will, wants to heal the person. The preacher is like an instrument of God; what we do is what God says.”
After the child passed out, the family waited hours before contacting 911.
Arely tried to break free while her family held her in a “Superman” position suspended above the floor, Deputy District Attorney Rebekah Wise wrote, adding that the victim screamed, “No,” and told her mother, “I love you.”
Judge Hanley Chew is set to render a decision determining whether the District Attorney has sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial. Claudia, Aaron, and Rene Hernandez have entered pleas of not guilty to felony assault on a child under eight resulting in death.
Although a preliminary hearing took place in March, the judge will defer the ruling until May 10. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Arely Naomi Proctor Hernandez/Handout]
