As relatives watched and prayed, a man punctured his mother-in-law's esophagus when he jammed two crucifixes down her throat during an exorcism, the police said today.

The man, Mario Garcia, was screaming, "The devil is inside her!" when police officers arrived on Sunday night to find the woman on the front porch, blood pouring from her mouth. The mother-in-law, whose name was not released, was in critical condition today.

Mr. Garcia, 31, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, although he told the police that he had not intended to harm his mother-in-law, Capt. John Haberle said. Mr. Garcia was ordered held for psychiatric observation.

Mr. Garcia's wife, father-in-law, brother-in-law and three children under 10 had gathered around and prayed while he tried to chase a demon from his 47-year-old mother-in-law with eight-inch steel crosses, the police said.