ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, authorities are trying to sort out a bizarre death during a church service. A pastor has been arrested after an eight-year old boy with autism died during a prayer Service. John Atwater of affiliate WISN has the story.</s>JOHN ATWATER, WISN NEWS (voice-over): Because of his condition, eight-year old Terrance Cottrell, Jr. could not speak and he often acted out. Last night, police sources say he struggled to stay alive inside the Faith Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith. Surrounding him, a church elder, two church members, and his mother.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they just grabbed (unintelligible). Maybe prayed about an hour, hour and a half. They dismissed and go home.</s>ATWATER: But police say it was an intense two hour prayer session to drive evil spirits out of the boy. As adults held him down, he was apparently wrapped in sheets, dripping in sweat, and had marks on his arms.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I wasn't of God. And that's why my son is not here now.</s>ATWATER: The boy's father no longer lives with his mother. He feels the church persuaded her to go to the extreme.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They convinced her into wrapping him, holding him down, and trying to exorcise the demon out of him.</s>ATWATER: A woman who lives near the boy says she's felt uneasy for a while. She says church members occasionally made home visits that weren't appropriate.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know two people used to just whip him all the time. And I didn't like that.</s>ATWATER: Do you think maybe an evil spirit of some sort was mistaken for this autism, this condition he had?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. Well, probably the people in the medical section probably would say -- wouldn't say the same thing we do.</s>ATWATER: The justice system may not either. The church elder was arrested last night. Charges against him could be drawn up as the investigation continues.
Church Elder Arrested in Death of Child