A Florida woman is behind bars after allegedly stabbing a 12-year-old girl in the face and neck.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Gwendolyn Girard, 35, faces charges of aggravated battery and child abuse.
Police responded Monday afternoon to the Cecil Webb Wildlife Management Area in Punta Gorda after bystanders found the girl with stab wounds. When deputies arrived, the girl was “weak and in need of immediate medical attention,” according to a press release.
FOX 4 reports that the defendant tried to conceal the victim’s body in the nature preserve, despite the girl still being alive.
The girl reportedly said Girard attacked her and left her under the brush before driving away in a van.
“There were stab wounds, there were cut wounds, there were defensive wounds on the victim’s hands as well where she tried to block some of the attack,” Public Information Officer for CCSO. Chris Hall, said.
Cops tracked the vehicle and Girard to the North Fort Myers area. Investigators interviewed Girard, who reportedly admitted to stabbing the girl and revealed where she hid the weapon.
The victim is currently in stable condition. WINK News reports that Girard is the child’s mother.
“She’s a brave little girl. She said she played dead. She said she fought her mother off as long as she could, and then she played dead, and then her mom left her there,” the victim’s father, Eunice Kent, told the outlet.
Girard is in custody at the Charlotte County Jail with a bond set at $750,000.
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[Feature Photo via Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office]
