Topline: The victim found alive, bleeding and hidden under brush in a wildlife area, authorities say.
Published: May 28, 2025 8:00 am ET
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Gwendolyn Girard (via Charlotte County Sheriff's Office)
PUNTA GORDA, FL — A woman is in jail for allegedly stabbing a 12-year-old girl in the head and neck before attempting to hide her body while she was still alive.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the Cecil Webb Wildlife Management Area in reference to a 12-year-old with cuts to the face and neck who was found by passing bystanders in the afternoon of Monday, May 26.
As police arrived, they found the victim “to be weak and in need of immediate medical attention.”
The victim was able to tell deputies that the suspect, identified as Gwendolyn Girard, 35, had attacked her with a knife and left her under the brush before leaving in a gold-colored van.
Police say the van was located in North Fort Myers by members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, with Girard at the same location. The van was towed to impound, and Girard was transported for questioning.
Detectives interviewed Girard and obtained a full confession to include the location of the knife used in the attack, according to authorities.
“In my 33-year career, there are only a handful of times that I have been left speechless,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement. “This is one of those times. To attack a child with a knife… I can’t understand it.”
Gwendolyn Girard is being held at the Lee County Jail with a $750,000 bond, pending extradition to the Charlotte County Jail. She faces charges of Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Child Abuse.
The victim has been treated for her wounds and is in stable condition.
This investigation remains open at this time.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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The victim found alive, bleeding and hidden under brush in a wildlife area, authorities say.
By Jacob Charles
Published: May 28, 2025 8:00 am ET
Gwendolyn Girard (via Charlotte County Sheriff's Office)
PUNTA GORDA, FL — A woman is in jail for allegedly stabbing a 12-year-old girl in the head and neck before attempting to hide her body while she was still alive.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the Cecil Webb Wildlife Management Area in reference to a 12-year-old with cuts to the face and neck who was found by passing bystanders in the afternoon of Monday, May 26.
As police arrived, they found the victim “to be weak and in need of immediate medical attention.”
The victim was able to tell deputies that the suspect, identified as Gwendolyn Girard, 35, had attacked her with a knife and left her under the brush before leaving in a gold-colored van.
Police say the van was located in North Fort Myers by members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, with Girard at the same location. The van was towed to impound, and Girard was transported for questioning.
Detectives interviewed Girard and obtained a full confession to include the location of the knife used in the attack, according to authorities.
“In my 33-year career, there are only a handful of times that I have been left speechless,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement. “This is one of those times. To attack a child with a knife… I can’t understand it.”
Gwendolyn Girard is being held at the Lee County Jail with a $750,000 bond, pending extradition to the Charlotte County Jail. She faces charges of Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Child Abuse.
The victim has been treated for her wounds and is in stable condition.
This investigation remains open at this time.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Florida Woman Accused of Stabbing 12-Year-Old Girl, Leaving Her for Dead
The victim found alive, bleeding and hidden under brush in a wildlife area, authorities say.
By Jacob Charles
Published: May 28, 2025 8:00 am ET
Gwendolyn Girard (via Charlotte County Sheriff's Office)
PUNTA GORDA, FL — A woman is in jail for allegedly stabbing a 12-year-old girl in the head and neck before attempting to hide her body while she was still alive.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the Cecil Webb Wildlife Management Area in reference to a 12-year-old with cuts to the face and neck who was found by passing bystanders in the afternoon of Monday, May 26.
As police arrived, they found the victim “to be weak and in need of immediate medical attention.”
The victim was able to tell deputies that the suspect, identified as Gwendolyn Girard, 35, had attacked her with a knife and left her under the brush before leaving in a gold-colored van.
Police say the van was located in North Fort Myers by members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, with Girard at the same location. The van was towed to impound, and Girard was transported for questioning.
Detectives interviewed Girard and obtained a full confession to include the location of the knife used in the attack, according to authorities.
“In my 33-year career, there are only a handful of times that I have been left speechless,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement. “This is one of those times. To attack a child with a knife… I can’t understand it.”
Gwendolyn Girard is being held at the Lee County Jail with a $750,000 bond, pending extradition to the Charlotte County Jail. She faces charges of Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Child Abuse.
The victim has been treated for her wounds and is in stable condition.
This investigation remains open at this time.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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