Inset: Antony Ton Le being arrested in Washington state (KOMO). The building where Le is accused of killing his mother (KOMO).
A tragic incident has unfolded in Washington state, where a 30-year-old man stands accused of murdering his mother. Authorities allege that Antony Ton Le brutally strangled and stomped his mother, Thuy Nu Thu Ton, to death before concealing her body beneath a pile of blankets in her condominium.
Le was apprehended on Tuesday and now faces a charge of criminal homicide related to the death of Ton, as confirmed by official records.
The King County Sheriff’s Office responded to an emergency call around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. The call originated from a condominium complex located in the 28700 block of 34th Avenue South in Auburn, according to a document outlining probable cause. The caller, who identified himself as the condo’s owner, reported finding Ton “wrapped in blankets” on the floor and expressed concern that she had been assaulted by her son, Le.
The caller further informed authorities that Le had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He disclosed that Le had ceased taking his prescribed medication several months prior, resulting in an escalation of aggressive and violent behavior.
Responding deputies and medical personnel arrived at the scene and made efforts to revive the victim. Tragically, she was declared deceased at 2:09 p.m., as noted in the official report.
A tactical unit was deployed to secure the area, leading to the discovery of Le in his bedroom. He was subsequently arrested and taken into custody at SeaTac City Hall.
The owner told investigators that when he left for work earlier that day, Ton was on the couch looking at her phone and Le, he assumed, was in his room. When he returned, he looked beneath the pile of blankets in the middle of the living room that “shouldn’t have been there” and found the victim “lying on her back with her eyes open and her arms folded across her chest.” He said Ton had suffered severe and obvious facial injuries.
During his interrogation, Le allegedly told detectives that he and his mother “got into an argument about school and finances” before he admitted that he “ultimately killed his mother.” He also mentioned recently “experiencing rage and anger” toward his mother before providing harrowing details about the alleged attack.
“He grabbed Thuy in a ‘choke hold’ and threw her to the ground. [Le] began ‘curb stomping’ his mother’s neck,” the affidavit states. “[Le] noted how angry he was and that he likely killed her on the ‘third stomp’ and ‘over-killed her’ and stomped her four or five more times. After the assault, [Le] tried to ‘help’ Thuy by putting pillows and blankets on top of her. [Le] stated that he heard Thuy ‘gurgling’ for about 30 minutes before she died. [Le] then gave her a hug.”
The defendant decided not to call 911 because he knew the condo owner would be home soon and assumed he would alert authorities.
Le is currently being held in the King County Jail on $2 million bond and is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Friday.
