‘Possessed by a spirit,’ Tampa man burns 14-year-old boy during Santeria ceremony, cops say
A Tampa man was arrested after a Santeria ceremony when he allegedly burned a boy on his back, cops said.
On Sunday, the boy stepped into his home to find a peculiar sight: a Santeria ceremony where several people were standing in a circle, Tampa police said.
Some time during the ceremony, the boy, who 8 on Your Side reports as 14 years old, was burned on his back with a cigar. Police heard conflicting stories of what happened.
When officers were called to the home just before 1: 30 a.m., the boy told them that he had gone into the bathroom after seeing the ceremony in his living room. When he came out, Jamie Amoguea Fonseca grabbed him from behind by his shirt and lifted him up.
While his back was exposed, Fonseca, 32, pressed a lit cigar into the boy’s back, the boy told police.
Fonseca told officers a different story.
He said he was “possessed by a spirit” and was smoking during the ceremony. The boy was asked to join the circle and when he walked past him, Fonseca told police he accidentally touched the child’s back with the lit cigar. Fonseca says he was unaware what was happening due to being possessed by spirits, the arrest report said.
Fonseca was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse. He was released from jail on a $15,000 bond.
This story was originally published January 16, 2020 at 4:08 PM.
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