Police reportedly assaulted by parents after ‘black magic’ reported in Charlotte neighborhood

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) - Two parents were accused of assaulting police officers after the couple was reportedly engaging in “black magic rituals” at a house in North Carolina.

A criminal affidavit revealed the alleged incident happened on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at a home in east Charlotte.

The affidavit said Charlotte-Mecklenburg police were sent to the house after a concerned neighbor called 911. The document said the neighbor reported the parents were “performing black magic rituals,” “burning things,” and that there was “loud screaming.”

The neighbor also allegedly said the mother’s face was black and purple and she appeared to have been abused.

When police got to the neighborhood, they heard screaming and saw things being thrown inside the house.

Officers found both live and spent .22 rounds, broken items, and drops of blood on the front porch of the home.

As police walked toward the door, the affidavit said “the front door swung open,” and the two parents and four kids were staring out at them. The kids were aged 14, 11, 5, and 3 years old, according to the document.

What police found inside

Once inside the house, officers reportedly found the home in “complete disarray and in no shape for such small children.”

The affidavit said nearly every piece of decor and furniture was destroyed. Large knives, blow-torch lighters and other dangerous items were also reportedly left out in the open.

The document said the family made “non-sensical” statements to police, and at first told officers they were cleaning. They then allegedly claimed someone broke in and caused the damage.

Police assaulted by parents

At some point while police were inside the home, the affidavit said the father “began acting erratically” and tried to rub garlic and a Bible on the officers. While that was going on, the mother allegedly started “speaking fast and irate.”

Then, as police were looking around the house, both parents reportedly started screaming.

The father then started spraying down one of the kids with cologne and started moving toward a large butcher knife. The affidavit said a child then told police “she was not okay and was scared to be at the house.”

The affidavit said the father started throwing cloves of garlic at one of the officers. The mother then allegedly grabbed an officer’s neck, and when police tried to put the father in handcuffs, the mother tried to bite the officer’s leg.

Once outside, the mother allegedly spit at officers and spit inside the police car multiple times.

Parents charged

Court records identified the parents as 35-year-old Gabriel Antonio Santos-Funes and 33-year-old Maria Valladares.

Both parents were charged with several counts of misdemeanor child abuse, along with resisting an officer, assaulting a government employee, and other offenses.

Following their arrests, they were taken to the Mecklenburg County jail.