Mother Kills Child After 'Demons Told Her To Sacrifice Son'

A woman in Irving, Texas, was arrested for killing her 8-year-old child, police said. The woman claimed that she committed the crime after "demons told her to sacrifice her son."

On Sunday, local police were called to a residence in the 2600 block of Peach Tree Lane. When officers arrived, they found an 8-year-old boy dead. He was identified by the Dallas County Medical Examiner as Joevani De La Pena. The boy's 30-year-old mother, Tisha Sanchez, was taken into custody and later charged with capital murder.

"The motive for this murder is still unclear however the investigation is progressing," Irving police said in a news release, local media reported.

While details about the case were yet to be revealed, in the arrest warrant, a relative was quoted as telling the police that Sanchez told her that "demons told her to sacrifice her son" and that "she needed to forgive her."

The relatives told police that the boy was suffocated with a pillow.

Dallas County Jail records show Sanchez was earlier charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a public servant. These charged were placed following a November incident when police were called to a clothing store off State Highway 183 about a mother who was dragging her son around the store.

At the time, police believed the woman needed mental help and took her to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. It wasn't clear how long she spent in the hospital before being released, local media reported Monday. Police spokeswoman Shari Pulliam said Child Protective Services conducted a full investigation after the November incident.

"We did our due diligence," Pulliam said, adding that the boy was interviewed and he said he had a "great mom," following which CPS closed the investigation.