Dad Carves Pentagram On Son's Back to Mark the 12/12/12 'Holy Day,' Brent Troy Bartel 'Shed Some Innocent Blood'

One crazed Texas dad took the religious significance surround 12/12/12 way too far - 39-year-old Brent Troy Bartel allegedly carved a pentagram into his 6-year-old son's back with a box cutter to mark the 'Holy Day.' According to police reports, Bartel called 911 shortly after 12/12/12 began (approximately 12:10 a.m.) and told the dispatcher that he had just "shed innocent blood" by "inscribing a pentagram on my son." Supposedly a young child could be heard making noise in the background. Bartel was promptly arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

NBC News notes that while the date 12/12/12 is not known to have any holy or religious significance, the once-in-century event has "drawn attention from numerologists and those concerned with doomsday prophecy." That was Bartel's excuse for dangerously carving the pentagram (a symbol of faith by Neopagans) into his young son's back - he did it in honor of the "Holy Day."

According to reports, Bartel's wife also placed a call to 911 at approximately the same time early Wednesday morning from a nearby neighbor's home. The woman insisted that Bartel was attacking and hurting their six-year-old son.

When law enforcement finally arrived at the home in Richland Hills, the young boy was found shivering in pajama pants with no shirt on. Allegedly the bloody pentagram - a five-pointed star often associated with satanism or the occult - covered most of the child's back. A box cutter was later found near the scene, and blood was smeared all over the front door.

The young boy was promptly transported to Cooks Children's Hospital and treated for his wounds which weren't very deep. He was released to his mother later Wednesday. Bartel was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a family member and is being held at the Quad-Cities Jail in North Richland Hills on a $50,000 bond. Child Protective Services is currently investigating the case.

According to Richland Hills police Sgt. Nathan Stringer, "This is something you normally hear about in the movies, not something you expect to see."

Reports confirm that Bartel and his wife have fought in the past, but police never received complaints of child abuse prior to 12/12/12.