SAN JOSE, Calif. — The mother, grandfather and uncle of a 3-year-old girl who died during an exorcism at San Jose church will be tried together on charges connected to her death, after a judge ruled Monday that prosecutors could consolidate the cases.
Barring a formal objection from their attorneys, the three suspects — Claudia Hernandez, the girl’s mother; Rene Trigueros Hernandez, her grandfather; and Rene Hernandez Santos, her uncle — will now be tried together on Aug. 9 on charges of felony child abuse resulting in death, after allegedly killing the three-year-old, Arely Naomi Proctor, during a daylong church ceremony aimed at ridding the toddler of “evil spirits.”
The decision comes about a month after Trigueros Hernandez, 59, and Hernandez Santos, 19, were arrested in connection with the alleged ritual exorcism, which took place at their small Pentecostal church in South San Jose eight months earlier. Claudia Hernandez was arrested on Jan. 31, though her arrest — and Arely’s death — were not made public at the time. if convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
