Man dies in struggle after choking granddaughter in ‘exorcism’

A THREE-YEAR-OLD girl is recovering in a hospital after her grandfather was found allegedly choking her during an exorcism.

The girl is expected to recover physically and police are investigating “other possible abuses”, said Sergeant Joel Tranter, a police spokesman in Phoenix, Arizona.

The grandfather died after what police described on Sunday as a struggle in a house where officers went in response to a report of an exorcism being conducted on a young child.

Officers arrived at the house on Saturday in response to a call from a relative of the family that lived there and entered when they heard screaming from a bedroom, Sgt Tranter said.

“The purpose was to release demons from this very young child,” he said.

A bed was pushed up against the bedroom door but officers were able to push it open a few inches, allowing one to peer inside and see that 49-year-old Ronald Marquez was clutching his bloodied granddaughter, who was crying in pain, screaming and gasping as Mr Marquez choked her, Sgt Tranter said.

A bloody, naked 19-year-old woman who was determined to be Mr Marquez’s daughter and the girl’s mother also was in the room, chanting “something that was religious in nature”, the spokesman said.

The officers then were able to force open the door enough for one to enter, leading to a struggle in which the officer used a Taser stun gun as he tried to free the girl, Sgt Tranter said.

After the initial stun had no visible effect on Mr Marquez, a second officer squeezed into the room and Mr Marquez was stunned a second time, allowing one of the officers to free the girl and pass her out the door to the relative, the sergeant said.

Mr Marquez was placed in handcuffs after a struggle with police and he initially appeared normal but then was observed not to be breathing, he said.

Efforts by the officers and Fire Department personnel to revive him failed, and he was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Cause of death was not immediately known and autopsy results probably would not be available for several weeks.

“It’s very bizarre, (a) very unusual and pretty horrific situation this young child was involved in,” Sgt Tranter said.

He said the investigation was continuing.

The spokesman said the girl and her mother were taken to hospital for treatment of various injuries.

Sgt Tranter said the girl had bruises and other undisclosed injuries, while the woman had a cut lip and facial lacerations.