Esoteric Source

Paul called 911 in April, fearing that because his son touched the rock with his foot, something bad was on the way.

"Even though you may not believe in it, they seriously believe in it and you have to treat it that way," said Police Officer Paul Pitti, who responded to the call. "This guy wouldn't even go near the car. He was freaking out. He didn't want us to go near his car."

Delray Beach police occasionally get calls from Haitian residents fearing supernatural death threats and curses. The department takes a report and leaves it at that. There are no specific records available for voodoo calls.

"You have to be professional," Pitti said. "You don't want to make things worse."

About 10 percent of Delray Beech’s population is Haitian.

People who practice the religion, sometimes referred to as Vodou or Vaudou, say it is one of peace. However, its meaning has been misconstrued and people have been led into violent acts.

Last year, a 25-year-old Fort Lauderdale man was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his father on Christmas Eve 2006. At trial, Barnard Joseph's attorney said his Haitian client suspected his mother was putting a voodoo curse on him and brutally attacked his parents to "battle the demons."

In Spain last year, police broke up a human trafficking ring that they say forced Nigerian women into prostitution by threatening them with voodoo curses.

In late 2007, Pitti was dispatched to a man who claimed he was battling "evil spirits" in his home. Oswald Varemond, 47, was straddling his girlfriend, and both were covered in blood, Pitti said. Varemond attacked Pitti and another officer. Despite several shots with a stun gun, Varemond felt no pain, Pitti said.

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