Woman stabs 12-year-old at nature preserve, leaves her under brush, FL cops say

A woman attacked a 12-year-old girl with a knife at a Florida nature preserve and tried to conceal her under some brush before fleeing, authorities said.

Law enforcement obtained warrants for the arrest of 35-year-old Gwendolyn Girard on charges of aggravated battery and aggravated child abuse in the May 26 incident, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said.

Girard and the girl knew each other, but deputies could not provide further detail on their relationship due to the ongoing investigation.

The afternoon of Memorial Day, passersby at the Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area found a girl with cuts on her face and neck, deputies said in a news release.

First responders said when they arrived, they found her “weak and in need of immediate medical attention.”

The 12-year-old told investigators that Girard stabbed her and tried to “hide her body” in the brush, although she was still alive, then Girard fled in a van, according to deputies.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office found Girard and the van in North Fort Myers, and during questioning, Girard told deputies what happened and where the knife was, according to investigators.

“To attack a child with a knife … I can’t understand it,” Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummel said. “It is only by God’s grace that she is still with us today, and I pray for her as she heals from this horrific incident. Unfortunately, the mental trauma inflicted on her may never heal.”

Girard was booked in Lee County jail.

The wildlife management area is in southwest Florida, about a 15-mile drive northwest from Fort Myers.

This story was originally published May 27, 2025 at 10:55 AM with the headline "Woman stabs 12-year-old at nature preserve, leaves her under brush, FL cops say."