Demonic ritual beating a possible in child's brutal death

CADE - By all accounts, 3-year-old Kaloey Laigh Kittiraj's death was brutal. Deputies called to a home late Wednesday found her battered and bloodied at the hands of her father, Sengdao Kittiraj, 32.
He continued beating the girl as they watched. They ordered him to stop. They sent out a dog to attack him. Ultimately, they shot him to death. But it was all too late to save her life.

The toddler died from her injuries Thursday morning at Lafayette General Medical Center.

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Capt. Ginny Higgins, spokeswoman for the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office, said deputies shot and killed Sengdao Kittiraj after several failed attempts to stop him from beating Kaloey.

Higgins said Kittiraj refused to obey deputies' orders, and a K-9 unit did not deter him.

"Ultimately, an officer with our department was compelled to discharge his service weapon to protect the child, himself and other officers on the scene," she said in a news release.

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Kaloey died at 4:30 a.m. Thursday at Lafayette General Medical Center, Higgins said. Cedars said the girl died from a punctured lung after being impaled on some sort of instrument.

The beating might have been part of some bizarre sort of ritual for Kittiraj, he said.

"I wouldn't necessarily use the word religious, I think the word demonic might be a better description," Cedars said. "I've heard there might be some overtones of voodoo or something along those lines, but that's all heresay and preliminary."

Meanwhile, the deputy who fired the fatal shot has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation. Higgins said this is a common practice for the sheriff's office.

Once the investigation is complete, it will be forwarded to the district attorney's office and to the sheriff's office, which both will determine whether any additional actions are merited.

Cedars said that while everything still is in its most preliminary stages, he doesn't foresee any charges being filed against either deputy.

"My dealing with them reflects that they have always conducted themselves professionally," Cedars said. "They are well trained, experienced police officers.

"It's one thing to evaluate the conduct in the peace and tranquility of an office, however, they were confronted with a very ugly, brutal, rapidly evolving situation. I am certain that their judgment based on what I know of them, was more likely than not, appropriate."