Ferndale, Calif. (KIEM, CNN Newsource) – A California woman is in jail, accused in a bizarre attack on her own 11-year-old daughter.
Authorities say she attempted to perform an exorcism on the girl.
They say Kimberly Felder was at Centerville Beach Friday morning shoving sand in her daughter’s mouth and eyes.
The child had no clothes on and Felder was striking, biting and choking her.
According to authorities, Felder told people she was trying to remove demons from the girl.
A man stepped in to restrain her until police arrived.
The sheriff’s office said he struggled with Felder as she hit her daughter with a piece of wood, and that his intervention likely prevented Felder from killing the girl.
Several people witnessed the scene. One of them said, “They should’ve stepped in immediately. I mean, you can tell a child is being abused. So what’s going on here? Just step in and ask, if nothing else. Just ask a woman what is she doing.”
The girl was taken to the hospital for her injuries, which include severe damage to her right ear.
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