Woman Charged With Beating and Choking Boy

ST. CLOUD -- A St. Cloud woman is accused of beating and strangling a 10-year-old child after he reported the abuse to school staff last week.

Thirty-one-year-old Leah Au is charged with felony domestic assault by strangulation and gross misdemeanor punishment of a child.

According to the criminal complaint, the boy told school staff Au repeatedly hit him in the arm with a back massager, grabbed him around the neck with her hand and squeezed for approximately 15 seconds before throwing him to the ground.  The boy said he felt light-headed for about a minute because of difficulty breathing.

Police say they discovered a back massager in Au's home which appears to match the pattern of injuries on the boy's arm.  The boy also said Au had hit him with a belt before but never choked him.

Authorities interviewed Au who denied any physical altercation with the boy.  She's due in court again at the end of May.