Channel 2 Action News was the only station in the courtroom when a Gwinnett County judge set the mother free.

Sandra Alfred, 46, was charged with child cruelty and false imprisonment.

Alfred walked in to the courtroom and listened as a police sergeant told the judge what happened two weeks ago when she called from her Lilburn home to say her teenage son was unruly.

“(She was) trying to explain to us that we were sent to her by God as angels to help her this evening. That this was the third day, and it was supposed to be the worst day, and that her son was possessed by Satan,” said Sgt. Stephen Weed with the Lilburn Police Department.

Police said it was part of an exorcism, where the boy was handcuffed for hours at a time.

“Along with handcuffing, the victim, over the course of three days (he) went without food and water for a period of 12 hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” said Weed.

Doctors believed the boy has the onset of schizophrenia.

Judge Robert Mitchum said Alfred’s beliefs may be different to some, even unconventional, but ruled the evidence did not show a crime since she said she restrained the boy to keep him from hurting himself and others, and police during the incident had to do the same to subdue the teen.

“If you have a 2-year-old that wants to run in front of a car, is the state of Georgia going to say the parents can’t grab that 2-year-old, even hard enough to bruise the child, to keep him from running in front of that car? Is the state of Georgia going to say that? No, it’s not,” said Mitchum.

As for the claims of an exorcism, the judge said, “I’m going to have a hard time believing you’re going to get anybody to say in Gwinnett County, Georgia that Satan doesn’t exist,” said Mitchum.

The boy is now in the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services. The judge said that is perhaps a better venue to deal with the family issue.

The judge also said the district attorney’s office can go after an indictment if they want to against Alfred by grand jury.

Previous Stories: June 17, 2009: Police: Lilburn Woman Tried Exorcism On Son