Court records say the suspect told detectives he killed his mother after an argument.
AUBURN, Wash. — A 30-year-old man was arrested after deputies found his mother dead inside a condominium near Auburn on Feb. 24, and court records say the man later described choking her and stomping on her neck after an argument about school and finances.
Investigators say the case began as a welfare check and quickly became a homicide investigation when a roommate returned home and found the woman on the floor, wrapped in blankets, with visible facial injuries. Prosecutors have not yet filed formal charges, but authorities have said the investigation is being handled by major-crimes detectives and a charging decision was expected within days.
Deputies with the King County Sheriff’s Office were called to a condominium in the 28700 block of 34th Avenue South shortly after 2 p.m. on Tue., Feb. 24, after a 911 caller reported a woman was unresponsive and might have been assaulted. The caller, who owns the condo, told dispatchers he had returned home and found the victim lying on the floor, wrapped in blankets, with injuries to her face. Deputies entered through an unlocked door and found the woman unresponsive with swollen eyes and blood from her nose, court records say. First responders moved her outside while attempting life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead at 2:09 p.m. The victim was identified in records as Thuy Nu Thu Ton, and the suspect was identified as her son, Antony Ton Le.
According to the probable cause narrative described in court documents, the condo owner told deputies he had known Le for years and rented him a room. The owner said Ton frequently stayed at the home to care for her son, including cooking and cleaning. The owner also reported that Le had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and had a history of violence when not taking medication. He told investigators Le had stopped taking prescribed medication about five months earlier and had become increasingly hostile toward both him and his mother, the records say. Investigators have not publicly released medical records, and authorities have not said whether Le was under the care of a doctor at the time of the killing.
After deputies found Ton, investigators said they set up a perimeter and tried to make contact with Le inside the residence, but he did not respond. A tactical team later entered the condominium and found him in a bedroom, taking him into custody without incident, records say. He was then transported to SeaTac City Hall for questioning by major-crimes detectives. During a recorded interview, Le allegedly told detectives he believed he had killed his mother after an argument that focused on school and money. In the interview, he described grabbing her in a chokehold, throwing her to the ground, and stomping on her neck multiple times, according to the records.
Investigators say the account did not end there. In the interview summarized in court documents, Le allegedly said he put blankets and pillows on his mother to “heal” her and then listened to her make noises for about 30 minutes before she died. After the assault, he told detectives he washed his clothes and went to bed, the documents say. Le also made statements about demons, possession, and an “AI video,” according to the records. Investigators said he acknowledged that part of his statement was untrue, but he continued to maintain that he had killed his mother.
Authorities have not released an autopsy report or a final cause of death, and investigators have not publicly detailed what physical evidence was collected inside the home beyond the injuries described by deputies at the scene. The early timeline, however, is central to the investigation. The condo owner told deputies he left for work around 1:30 a.m. that day and returned about 1:10 p.m., court records say. He reported noticing blankets piled on the living room floor, and when he moved a blanket he found Ton lying on her back with her eyes open and her arms folded across her chest. He then went to a neighbor’s home to call 911, the records say.
In court proceedings the day after the arrest, prosecutors argued there was probable cause to hold Le on suspicion of second-degree murder. A judge set bail at $2 million and ordered him held in custody. A first-appearance hearing is not the same as a formal charging decision, and the legal standard at that stage is lower than what prosecutors must meet to file charges and later prove a case at trial. Investigators typically submit a full case referral after additional work, including interviews and forensic results, and prosecutors then decide what charges to file, if any.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said it had not yet received the formal felony referral from sheriff’s office investigators but anticipated receiving it by Fri., Feb. 27, for a charging decision. If charges are filed, the case would move through arraignment and later hearings in King County Superior Court. Authorities have not said whether they will seek mental health evaluations or competency proceedings, steps that can arise in cases where defendants show signs of severe mental illness. Those decisions, if they occur, would likely be made after charging and early court hearings.
Neighbors and the condo owner described a scene that shifted quickly from concern to a heavy law-enforcement response. Deputies set up a perimeter, and a tactical team later entered the home before taking Le into custody without incident, records say. The condo owner told investigators he had seen Le become more hostile in recent months, and he believed medication changes played a role, according to the documents. In the interview, Le’s remarks about possession and artificial intelligence stood out to detectives who wrote that parts of the statement were incoherent. Still, investigators said he ultimately acknowledged killing his mother, and that admission, combined with scene evidence, formed the basis for his arrest.
As of Thu., Feb. 26, Le remained in custody on $2 million bail while prosecutors reviewed the case for possible charges. The next milestone was the anticipated charging decision by Fri., Feb. 27, which would determine what counts, if any, are filed and when an arraignment would be scheduled.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 27, 2026.