Baby Sitter Arrested, Accused Of Witchcraft, Satanism

WKMG News ^ | 2:42 p.m. EST November 14, 2003 | local6 staff

[Yeti]

Baby Sitter Arrested, Accused Of Witchcraft, Satanism

Woman Admits To Studying Satanism, Giving Girls Alcohol

POSTED: 2:42 p.m. EST November 14, 2003

UPDATED: 2:44 p.m. EST November 14, 2003

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Des Moines police filed a criminal charge in a bizarre case which they say involves a baby sitter, two 8-year-old girls, witchcraft and alcohol.

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	Video: Baby Sitter Admits Giving Girls Alcohol, Studying Satanism

Melissa Fernandez, 20, of Des Moines, is accused of giving 8-year-old twins alcohol, and providing a sharp instrument for one of the girls to cut herself in a ritual to become blood sisters. Fernandez is charged with one count of child endangerment.

Tina Kish said she was shocked by what her daughters told her about the times they stayed with Fernandez, a family friend and baby sitter who also lives in the Park Ridge Apartment complex on Indianola Avenue.

Kish said the girls told her that Fernandez served them alcohol, and got one of them drunk. The girls also said Fernandez taught them things about witchcraft, took them to an abandoned building Fernandez told them is haunted, and allowed one girl to cut herself as part of a blood ritual.

According to police reports, Fernandez encouraged one of the girls to cut her arm and commingle blood with her.

From her jail cell, Fernandez did not deny the alcohol accusation.

"I had been drinking a little bit that night. And they pretty much wanted to try it, like kids always do," Fernandez said.

"I can completely understand the charges for distributing alcohol to a minor, and I will fess up to that, but anything else I completely do not understand," Fernandez said.

Fernandez said she simply showed the girls the movie "Practical Magic," which is about witches, and the twin's satanism claims are a misunderstanding.

"I just wanted the girls to have fun, you know, because they had watched that movie and pretty much they wanted to mimic some of the stuff of that," Fernandez said.

"I had cut myself. I do that kind of out of habit now. And she just kind of copied me," Fernandez said.

Fernandez admitted she studies satanism as a religion, but denies she practices witchcraft.

Fernandez appeared before a Polk County judge Friday morning. Her bond is set at $6,500.

The judge issued a no contact order, meaning Fernandez must stay away from minors.

Fernandez is out of jail.

[Yeti]

"I had cut myself. I do that kind of out of habit now. ..."

Okay.

[Arpege92]

2003's version of Mary Poppins!

[martin_fierro]

Not Industrial Strength Humor, but this story appears to be Just Damnable.

[TPartyType]

this is what I think of her

[Experiment 6-2-6]

"I had cut myself. I do that kind of out of habit now. And she just kind of copied me," Fernandez said.

That one kind of jumped out at me too...

[Chad Fairbanks]

Can you actually be charged with "Witchcraft" still? Or is the headline just sensationalism?

I mean, this woman obviously did some weird crap with these kids, and everything will fall under child endangerment charges and probably other charges as well, but the minute she gets convicted of "Witchcraft", she walks on appeal... Hope the prosecutor is smart...

[FITZ]

LOL!

[Cultural Jihad]

The media was sensationalizing their headline. Fernandez is charged with one count of child endangerment, not with practicing witchcraft.

[Chad Fairbanks]

That's what I figured. Seems they have a slam-dunk case for that, and I don't see the need to add the whole witchcraft/satanism angle to it. It just mucks up an otherwise simple case and could in theory add more complications...

But anyway, yeah, I figured it was sensationalism. Reminds me of the 80s...

[Yeti]

Can you actually be charged with "Witchcraft" still??

We could put her into a vat of boiling oil and, if she floats, we'll know she was innocent.

Is burning at the stake still the mandatory sentence for witchcraft?

[Kyrie]

We could put her into a vat of boiling oil and, if she floats, we'll know she was innocent.

If she weighs as much as a duck...

[Chad Fairbanks]

Let's see what the Scales of Justice have to say...

[xm177e2]

Even if I am to believe that she "had to" cut herself, why did she have to do it in view of the kids? She is dangerous, and should be put to sleep.

[LibKill]

Yeesh!

Girl - fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life

[poindexter]

"I had cut myself. I do that kind of out of habit now."

Classic borderline personality disorder. Awful people to have anything to do with.

[janetgreen]

Melissa is 20 years old. Maybe she needs to get out and get a real job?

[WackyKat]

and I don't see the need to add the whole witchcraft/satanism angle to it. It just mucks up an otherwise simple case and could in theory add more complications... But anyway, yeah, I figured it was sensationalism. Reminds me of the 80s...

The cops and the media are still looking for a real case of Satanic Ritual Abuse, after so many previous cases turned out to be just hysterical witchhunts(pun intended) that resulted in innocents people's lives being ruined.

[WackyKat]

Even if I am to believe that she "had to" cut herself, why did she have to do it in view of the kids? She is dangerous, and should be put to sleep.

Self mutilation is a sign of certain types of mental illness.

The Nazis supported euthanasia of the mentally ill, too; are you sure you want to be associated with that philosophy?

[xm177e2]

The Nazis supported euthanasia of the mentally ill, too; are you sure you want to be associated with that philosophy?

Mentally ill people who do things harmful to children should be destroyed. (Just like sane people who harm children). Mentally ill (or otherwise disabled) people who are merely unproductive should not be put to death.

[hellinahandcart]

What an idiot. "Well, the girls WANTED to drink, so I let 'em. They wanted to cut themselves too, so I let 'em."

Seems to have gone out of her way to NOT be an authority figure. And yet to deliberately be an unhealthy influence at the same.

Glad the little girls blabbed.