EPHRATA - Moses Lake brothers were arrested and charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon after they reportedly told police they beat up two men who accused their mother of being an evil witch.

Abraham Rodriguez, 33, and Juan Rodriguez, 36, were arrested in the Cascade Valley neighborhood on Aug. 10 following an assault on Longview Street.

The brothers were angry that a relative confronted their mother with a knife and accused of her being a witch and casting an evil spell on him and his family, according to witness statements and the police report.

The brothers went to the man's house and beat him, his father and a woman who tried to stop them with a baseball bat handle, sticks and a large rock. The men had numerous broken bones in their arms and hands, according to a nurse at Samaritan Healthcare.

Both of the men who were beaten told police they believe the mother of the brothers was a witch and cast a spell on them preventing them from buying a home.

They said she constantly interfered with their family and business.

The younger brother, Abraham, has two previous convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and was released from prison less than six months ago, according to court documents. He was convicted of a 2006 assault in Adams County and 1998 assault in Franklin County.