Burien, Washington — A Washington state woman who previously operated a licensed daycare facility now faces serious criminal charges after prosecutors say she subjected her young stepson to a deeply troubling pattern of physical punishment inside their home.
Renee Leon, of Burien, has been charged with three counts of second-degree assault of a child in a domestic violence case. Her stepson, just 7 years old, reportedly endured repeated abuse that only came to light after he confided in a school nurse.
According to court documents, Leon allegedly forced the child to swallow Dawn dish soap, with the amount determined by how many times she believed he had lied. She also allegedly made him push hot sauce-coated fingers into his own nose as punishment for picking it, leaving the boy’s nose burning for extended periods.
The child reportedly slept on a mat with no blanket inside a walled-off section of a bedroom, separated from his brothers and monitored through Ring cameras. Leon allegedly bound his hands in wrapped coverings resembling mittens for days at a time, once for two days and again for an entire four-day weekend, as punishment for behaviors she found unacceptable.
When the school nurse examined the boy, his hands appeared severely irritated and inflamed. He disclosed the abuse to her directly, prompting her to contact Child Protective Services and the King County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators who visited Leon’s home on June 5 discovered multiple photographs of a person in a straitjacket displayed near the area where the boy slept. The child reportedly told investigators that Leon had warned him that was where he would eventually end up, leaving him feeling deeply sad about his circumstances.
Adding a disturbing layer to the case, Leon had previously run a childcare facility called Aunties Playhouse in Normandy Park and had completed thousands of hours of professional child care training.
Leon is scheduled to stand trial in early August. The case continues to unfold as prosecutors build their case around the boy’s detailed disclosures.
