Texas Man Carves Son With Pentagram For 12-12-12

Brent Troy Bartel told a 911 dispatcher, "I shed some innocent blood," according to a transcript of a 911 call placed on Wednesday morning and released by Richland Hills police.

After the dispatcher responded by saying “I’m sorry?” Bartel repeated his words, then said he had inscribed a pentagram on his son.

When the dispatcher asked why, Bartel concluded the call by saying, "Because it's a holy day."

Neighbors of the Bartel family said they were shocked that the father had allegedly injured his son, but added they didn’t know the family all that well, according to the Associated Press via the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss.

Blood was smeared on the front door by Bartel, Richland Hills police said.

It is uncertain what Bartel meant when he referred to 12/12/12 as a holy day or why he chose a pentagram, a five-sided star that it typically a symbol for pagan groups, to carve on the back of his 6-year-old boy.

Wednesday’s date was a once-in-a-century event.

Meanwhile, some people believe the Mayan calendar reportedly predicts the end of the world will come on 12/21/12, but others have interpreted the date to actually be 12/12/12.

Bartel, 39, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and placed in jail, with bail set at $500,000, AP reported. It said he did not yet have an attorney, citing police Sgt. Nathan Stringer.

"Brent is not a demon. ... He loves that boy," his mother Lori Ponce told the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, AP reported. "Something happened. Don't paint him as some crazy man. No, that's not him."

AP quoted his stepfather John Ponce as telling the Star-Telegram, "If you know about the Old Testament, there's the Passover marks on the door frame [that] were done with a sacrificial lamb, definitely not sacrificial children."

His stepfather said Bartel was “deep into the Old Testament" and indicated his action might have associated with a convoluted interpretation of some biblical references to Passover.