A Florida woman is behind bars after allegedly stabbing a 12-year-old girl in the face and neck.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Gwendolyn Girard, 35, faces charges of aggravated battery and child abuse.
On Monday afternoon, police were called to the Cecil Webb Wildlife Management Area in Punta Gorda, where bystanders had discovered a girl with stab injuries. Upon their arrival, deputies noted that she was “weak and required urgent medical care,” as stated in a press release.
FOX 4 reports that the defendant tried to conceal the victim’s body in the nature preserve, despite the girl still being alive.
The girl reportedly said Girard attacked her and left her under the brush before driving away in a van.
“The victim had stab wounds, cuts, and defensive wounds on her hands, indicating she attempted to fend off the attack,” explained Chris Hall, the Public Information Officer for the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities tracked down a vehicle and located Girard in the North Fort Myers region. During interviews, Girard confessed to stabbing the girl and disclosed where the weapon was concealed.
The victim is currently in stable condition. WINK News reports that Girard is the child’s mother.
“She’s a brave little girl. She said she played dead. She said she fought her mother off as long as she could, and then she played dead, and then her mom left her there,” the victim’s father, Eunice Kent, told the outlet.
Girard is in custody at the Charlotte County Jail with a bond set at $750,000.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo via Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office]
