Inmates attack San Jose pastor accused of killing girl with church exorcism
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — A San Jose pastor accused of killing his 3-year-old granddaughter during a church exorcism has been repeatedly attacked by fellow inmates in jail, according to recently filed court documents.
Rene Trigueros Hernandez was a pastor at a Pentecostal church, Iglesia Apostoles y Profetas, until he was arrested by San Jose Police Department officers. His granddaughter, Arely Naomi Proctor, died in the church on Sept. 24, 2021. Prosecutors said the girl was tortured by family members for hours on the altar as they attempted to cast a “demon” out of her.
The girl’s family members told police that they squeezed Arely, trying to expel the demon, until they realized that she was dead, according to investigators.
Hernandez, 60, might not survive long enough in jail to make it to a trial if the inmate attacks continue, his defense attorney said.
The case garnered media headlines this month while Hernandez and his co-defendants were in court for a preliminary hearing. The pastor’s defense attorney filed new court documents stating Hernandez has been repeatedly attacked by fellow inmates.
The inmates who targeted Hernandez found out about the church death through news reports, court documents state.
The 60-year-old pastor has been in custody for more than a year without bail. “During his time in custody, he has been assaulted more than once. Each assault came close on the heels of a court appearance which was covered in the local paper or broadcast,” defense attorney Dana Fite wrote. “To be blunt, Mr. Hernandez will not be able to enjoy his right to a fair trial if he does not survive pre-trial custody. His life is definitely in danger.”
Arely’s mother, Claudia Hernandez, uncle, Rene “Aaron” Hernandez Santos, and grandfather are charged with felony assault on a child younger than eight causing death.
Fite did not asked the judge to bar news reporters from the courtroom entirely. The defense attorney requested that the judge bar the media from publishing or airing “up-to-date-in-court images and video” that make it “easier for hostile inmates in jail to identify and attack him,” Fite wrote.
Fite wrote, “Mr. Hernandez asks the court to order media personnel not to capture or broadcast his image.”
Religious beliefs at center of San Jose church exorcism death case
A KRON4 news reporter was allowed into the courtroom Monday on the final day of a preliminary hearing. There were no cameras present.
On Monday, a coroner testified that 3-year-old Arely had so many injuries — including blunt force trauma on her face and internal abdominal injuries — that it was impossible to know which injury was “the final blow.” The coroner said she determined Arely’s cause of death was a combination of mechanical asphyxia and smothering
Investigators said they unsure which family member in the church — the mother, the uncle, or the grandfather — was responsible for Arely’s lethal injury. All three told police that they participated in the deadly exorcism, according to testimony and police reports.
The victim’s mother and uncle have not had an easy time in jail either. Claudia Hernandez was threatened by inmates, and Aaron was assaulted, according to Fite. Inmate records show the grandfather is locked up in Santa Clara County Main Jail North on Hedding Street, next to the Hall of Justice courthouse.
Defense attorneys and prosecutors rested their case for the preliminary hearing on Monday. Judge Hanley Chew said he needs to view hours of videos from SJPD officers’ body cameras and taped police interrogations before he makes a ruling. Judge Chew’s ruling will determine if the District Attorney’s Office has enough evidence for the case to move forward to a trial.
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