Fairfax Co. police: Woman charged with assault for restraining daycare children with tape

An Alexandria, Virginia, woman who runs a county-licensed at-home daycare in Fairfax County turned herself in on Tuesday on charges of assaulting children who were under her care.

Police received an initial report of an assault in the 3600 block of Paul Street in Bailey’s Crossroads on Aug. 1, according to a news release shared by the Fairfax County police on Friday.

“Child Abuse detectives learned that Sumy Shah, 47, of Alexandria, ran a county-licensed at-home daycare where, on multiple occasions, she had restrained the victims using tape,” the statement said.

Detectives working on the case obtained four charges against Shah: two misdemeanor assault charges and two charges for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She turned herself into police custody on Aug. 20 and was held on an unsecured bond.

Shah is next scheduled to attend a hearing on Sept. 26 in Fairfax County’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, according to county records.

The department said Shah has since been released. It has also called in victim specialists to work with those harmed as a result of the alleged assaults.

Officials said witnesses or any other victims should reach out to the Fairfax County Major Crimes Bureau by calling 703-246-7800 and dialing option 3. Those who want to submit anonymous tips can do so through the county’s Crime Solver resources.

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Ivy Lyons

Ivy Lyons is a digital journalist for WTOP.com. Since 2018, they have worked on Capitol Hill, at NBC News in Washington, and with WJLA in Washington.

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