Kingston, Massachusetts daycare owner accused of abusing kids turns herself in, police say

Kingston, Massachusetts, daycare owner Karen Rezendes has turned herself in as she faces accusations of abusing kids, police say.

The Kingston Police Department says it obtained an arrest warrant Thursday for the 51-year-old who has run "Oh Nana's Daycare" at her home for several years. She faces criminal charges that include "alleged assault and batteries upon young children" who attended her daycare, according to police.

"This includes allegedly violently shoving a child to the ground, striking a child with kitchen accessories, slamming a child against a counter, locking a child in the attic, and additional abuse," Kingston police Lt. Michael Skowyra said in a statement.

The children ranged from ages 1 to 4 years old. The state is also investigating and her daycare is no longer licensed, police said.

She was not home when detectives executed a search warrant at her house earlier in the week, but police believe she knew about the search via her home security system. She had not been home since then and did not return calls from police, Skowyra said.

Shortly after asking the public for help finding her, police said she turned herself in to Plymouth District Court, where she was scheduled to be arraigned.

Police want to hear from any parents whose children attended this daycare and now suspect abuse.

"Did your child make allegations of abuse that you first thought were outlandish, or did your child come home with injuries that were alleged to have been from innocent cause but were only witnessed by the defendant?" Skowyra said. "They may have been the victims of physical abuse."