Kingston Daycare Owner Accused of Abusing Toddlers Surrenders to Police

The Kingston, Massachusetts woman accused of abusing toddlers at her in-home daycare turned herself in to police on Friday, ending a search that began after detectives said she failed to return their calls following a search of her home. Karen Rezendes, 51, was scheduled to be arraigned that same afternoon after an arrest warrant was obtained for her a day earlier.

Rezendes ran Oh Nana's Daycare out of her home for several years before police say she stopped responding to detectives, according to CBS News. Her surrender on Friday, confirmed by WHDH, followed an arrest warrant issued the day before, on August 27, and came after detectives made multiple attempts to locate her at her home and other affiliated locations.

Kingston Police Lt. Michael Skowyra said the alleged abuse included violently shoving a child to the ground, striking a child with kitchen accessories, slamming a child against a counter, and locking a child in the attic, among other alleged incidents. The children who attended Oh Nana's Daycare ranged in age from 1 to 4 years old, and Skowyra said they may have been victims of physical abuse.

Detectives Say Rezendes Went Silent After Search Warrant

Police executed a search warrant at Rezendes's house earlier in the week and she was reportedly not home at the time. Detectives believed Rezendes had learned of the search through her home security system, according to the seed reporting, and she had not returned to the residence or responded to calls from police since. Investigators had circulated a description of her vehicle, a gray 2021 Honda Odyssey with license plate 2539VJ, and asked anyone who knew her whereabouts to call police.

Before Rezendes surrendered, detectives had also directly notified her defense attorney about the active warrant, according to Boston 25 News. Skowyra had said police would locate her, and Kingston Police have continued their investigation even after her arrest.

State Agencies Pulled the Daycare's License

Oh Nana's Daycare is no longer licensed, and Massachusetts state authorities opened their own investigation into the facility alongside the criminal probe. That inquiry involved parallel tracks from the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Early Education and Care, working alongside Kingston Police over the course of a multi-week investigation, per the same Boston 25 News report.

Family child care facilities operating out of private homes in Massachusetts are regulated under state rules that limit single-provider capacity to between six and 10 children depending on age ratios and require background checks for household members 15 and older. Under state law, the Department of Early Education and Care holds explicit authority to issue emergency summary suspensions, revoke licenses, or assess civil fines against providers who fail to comply with safety regulations — the mechanism that likely underpins the daycare's license revocation.

Mandated Reporting Rules and Potential Penalties

Massachusetts law requires childcare workers, educators, and designated medical professionals to file an immediate report to the Department of Children and Families whenever there is reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect, a framework known as a 51A report. That requirement is part of the broader system through which child protection agencies are alerted to suspected maltreatment in licensed care settings.

Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 13J, an assault and battery upon a child under 14 that causes bodily injury carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in state prison, while an assault causing substantial bodily injury carries up to 15 years. Criminal prosecutions originating in Kingston fall under the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office, which maintains a specialized Child Protection Unit and Children's Advocacy Center to coordinate forensic interviews, medical evaluations, and victim advocacy for children involved in abuse cases.

Kingston Police have asked parents whose children attended Oh Nana's Daycare to report any suspected abuse. It remains unclear exactly what formal charges will be filed against Rezendes at arraignment, whether additional victims will come forward, or how evidence gathered from home security systems and the earlier search warrant will factor into the prosecution moving forward.