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Man accused of carving pentagram into son

The man is believed to have used a box cutter to carve the symbol

RICHLAND HILLS, Texas — A North Texas man is accused of carving a pentagram on his 6-year-old son’s back, telling a 911 dispatcher that he did it because “it’s a holy day.”

Richland Hills police say Brent Troy Bartel faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He’s jailed in lieu of $500,000 bond.

Sgt. Nathan Stringer says Bartel called 911 early Wednesday morning and said he’d shed innocent blood. Wednesday’s date is 12-12-12, a once-in-a-century event.

Officers in the Fort Worth suburb say they arrived and found that most of the child’s back was covered with a large pentagram. Richland Hills police also recovered a box cutter they believe was the weapon used to cut the boy.

The child was taken to a hospital. His condition was not immediately released.