Charged Cuban Santería Santería contexts Bronx, New York, USA · 2018

Bronx: man charged with drugging and sexually abusing clients during purported Santería 'healing' rituals

Record class

Core record

Evidence status

Charged

Authority role

man operating a purported Santería spiritual-healing practice

Organization

No organization assigned

Spiritual nexus

The staged 'healing' ritual — including a spirit-possession claim and an incapacitating potion given as part of the rite — was the direct mechanism used to isolate, drug, and assault the clients, rather than incidental religious affiliation.

Spiritual healing or treatment
Threatened spiritual consequence

Evidence structure

Proceedings

2018-05-09 · arrest and charges

Bronx, New York (NYPD arrest and charges). Christian Robles, who ran a purported Santería spiritual-healing practice from his Bronx apartment, was arrested and charged in May 2018 after five clients alleged he had them drink an incapacitating potion during ritual sessions and then sexually abused them; one pregnant complainant alleged he stood on her during a 'ritual,' causing a miscarriage. The charges are allegations pending adjudication.

Documented coercion mechanisms

incapacitating potion given as part of a 'healing' rite
staged ritual used to isolate and assault clients

Primary record

Sources

national broadcaster court reporting charging report 'Cops: "Spiritual healer" accused of sex abuse walked on pregnant woman's stomach', CBS News (May 2018).: CBS reports the NYPD charges alleging Robles drugged clients with a potion during Santería 'healing' sessions and sexually abused them.

Contextual record

Background & context

Institutional and pattern-level sources on Cuban Santería, not specific to this one case.

United States v. Diaz, 248 F.3d 1065 (11th Cir. 2001). Available at: courtlistener.com (Accessed: 14 July 2026).: Ritual authority can also be a criminal asset. A federal appeals court upheld the convictions of a Miami kidnapping-and-extortion crew in which two members exploited their standing as Santería priests to scout wealthy victims among their own religious followers: 'Although not physically involved in the robberies and extortions, Lopez and Diaz served as 'tipsters.' They were Santeria priests and used their positions to gain confidential information regarding the financial status of their followers, called 'godchildren.' This information was then passed on to Orestes Hernandez who in turn... targeted the individuals.'

Related record

Related cases · Cuban Santería

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