Four people accused of burning a Chile baby alive were arrested on Thursday by the police.
Valparaiso region - The murder was committed during a sect ritual intended to eliminate the Antichrist, believed by the leader of a sect to be the three-day-old Chile baby.
Ramon Gustavo Castillo Gaete (35) believed that the world was about to end on December 21, 2012 and that the sacrifice was the only solution to save it. The baby was therefore taken to a hill in Colliguay, near Valparaiso, on November 21, 2013, and thrown into a bonfire.
Castillo Gaete is allegedly the father of the baby; he convinced the mother, Natalia Guerra (35), also member of the sect, to hand over the newborn for the sacrifice.
The 35-year-old man formed the 12-member sect in 2005, and had sexual relations with the five woman members. He was considered a god by the group and was called "Antares from the Light".
One day, one of the women accidentally got pregnant. As Casttillo Gaete was a god, thought the ring, he couldn't have any children except for the "antichrist", an evil opponent of the "savior", who they considered the ideal model for humanity.
During her pregnancy, the mother was held in a house in the Andes and fed every two days.
The baby was born in a clinic of Vina del Mar but had never been officially registered, reported Miguel Ampuero, vice-chief of the Chilean Investigative Police (PDI). She was withdrawn by force from the hospital one day after her birth. The murder occurred two days later.
"The newborn was naked. They strapped tape around her mouth to keep her from screaming. Then they placed her on a board. After calling on the spirits they threw her on the bonfire alive," said the investigator.
The fire had been previously prepared in a two-meter deep hole in the ground. After the ritual, all members consumed ayahuasca, a potent hallucinogenic plant used for centuries by South American indigenous peoples. The PDI thinks Castillo Gaete was controlling the group with this drug.
The crime was reported to the police by a member's sister, who gave the police this information. The burnt remains of the baby were found last week.
According to the authorities, the fugitive ringleader was last seen before he travelled to Peru as to buy ayahuasca. He is believed to have CL$15-million in his possession, which was offered to him by one of the sect members. There is an international arrest warrant out against him.
Thus far, the police arrested four accused: the mother of the baby, Natalia Guerra Jequier, graduated in arts; Karla Franchy Arana (34), veterinarian who worked as a flight attendant; María del Pilar Álvarez Fuenzalida (25) and David Pastén Rojas (30) – everyone in the sect has a university degree.
