The man who admitted in a 911 call that he carved a pentagram on his 6-year-old son's back faces a court hearing Wednesday in Fort Worth.
A North Texas grand jury indicted Brent Troy Bartel on Monday for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
Bartel remained jailed Wednesday on a $500,000 bond.
"Shed Innocent Blood" on "Holy Day"
Just after midnight on Dec. 21, 2012, officers were dispatched to a home in the 3700 block of Ruth Road after Brent Troy Bartel, called 911 and said: "I shed some innocent blood."
When the dispatcher asked what the man meant by that, the man replied: “I inscribed a pentagram on my son.”
The dispatcher asked why, and the man said: "It's a holy day."
At the same time, the child's mother called 911 from a neighbor's home and said her husband was hurting their child.
Officers arrived at the home and found the child cold, standing in only pajama pants with a large pentagram carved into his back. The carving covered most of the boy's back, police said.
Officers wrapped the boy in a jacket and turned him over to paramedics. The child was transported to Cooks Children's Hospital for treatment. Child Protective Services and a crime victim liaison are working with the boy and his mother.
Police said Wednesday afternoon that the carving wasn't deep enough to require stitches and that the child is expected to physically recover.
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At the scene, officers also recovered a box cutter they believe Bartel used to make the carving.
Bartel was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon-family member.
The father's call to 911 was placed at 12:10 a.m., just minutes after the day 12-12-12 began.
It is not clear what Bartel meant by calling Wednesday "a holy day."
However, Catholics celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12. And the Dec. 12, 2012, date, along with Dec. 21, 2012, has draw attention from numerologists and those concerned with doomsday prophecy.
Bartel’s bizarre behavior has landed him in jail before. He was arrested in 2007, according to the Lancaster New Era. Bartel had been in court to fight at $25 traffic ticket for an illegal turn. Bartel approached the judge, turned over his drivers’ license, and proclaimed he’s done as a truck driver. He then tried to punch the police officer who gave him the ticket. It took three officers and an attorney to wrestle him to the floor.
Previous Coverage:
- Man Indicted for Carving Pentagram on Son
- Father Carves Pentagram into Son's Back
- AUDIO 911 Calls in Pentagram Assault
NBC 5's Frank Heinz, Kendra Lyn, Lindsay Wilcox, and Jeff Smith contributed to this story and previous reports.
