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 following the discovery of a girl with stab wounds by bystanders. Upon the arrival of deputies, it was noted that the girl was in a weakened state and urgently required medical attention, 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 Public Information Officer for CCSO, Chris Hall, disclosed that the victim had sustained stab wounds, cuts, and defensive wounds on her hands from attempting to fend off the attack. “There were stab wounds, there were cut wounds, there were defensive wounds on the victim’s hands as well where she tried to block some of the attack,” Hall mentioned.
Authorities were able to locate the vehicle and the suspect, Girard, in the North Fort Myers area. During interrogation, Girard allegedly confessed to the stabbing incident and provided information on the whereabouts of the concealed weapon, as revealed by investigators.
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]
