A Kenmore resident pleaded guilty to two counts of assault in the fourth degree, domestic violence after intentionally misleading doctors into thinking that both of her daughters had health issues. The result was hospitalization and surgically placed feeding tubes for one of the two children.

According to charging documents, the issues came to light early in December 2012 when Carmen Elizabeth Boyce had brought her 2-year-old daughter to the hospital for seizures, repeated vomiting and diarrhea with weight loss.

The parent of a child sharing the same room had become suspicious after hearing Boyce demand the child vomit and decided to try to catch Boyce in the act.

“[The witness] found a way to spy on [Boyce’s] interactions with [her daughter] by looking into the side of the room via a reflective surface,” police statements said.

The witness states that she saw Boyce sit on the couch with her daughter, grabbing her around the chest and restraining the young child.

“[Boyce] ‘took two fingers, and she grabbed some food, and she shoved them down [the child’s] throat, and [the child’s] head was going from side to side, and she’s screaming,'” the witness told police. “She heard [Boyce] say, ‘Go ahead. Vomit. Vomit.’ Then [Boyce] called the nurse via the call bell and again reported that [the child] had spontaneously vomited her food.”

When Boyce was escorted by hospital staff to a room where police were waiting, she promptly stated “I did not make my child vomit!” prior to anyone telling her why police were waiting for her.

While this incident took place with the woman’s 2-year-old child, Boyce’s 4-year-old daughter also had a history of similar food-related issues. Ending up with a surgically placed G-tube for feeding solid- or formula-based nutrition.

The children were removed from Boyce’s custody on Dec. 5, two days after the 2-year-old child had been admitted to the Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Based off of witness statements and doctor suspicions, Boyce was removed from the hospital grounds while guardianship of the children was placed with paternal grandparents.

Since being removed from their mother’s custody, neither child has shown signs of seizures, food allergies, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, blood in urine, high blood pressure or any of the other symptoms reported by Boyce. The G-Tube was removed from the 4-year-old girl without any complications and the children were taken off many of their medications without symptoms returning.

Police reports noted that Boyce’s assaults on the children “rise to the level of torture.”

Since the defendant pleaded guilty, there will be no trial. King County Court Judge Palmer Robinson will preside over the sentencing hearing on Feb. 13 in King County Court.

The King County Prosecutors Office will recommend a suspended jail sentence, under the conditions that Boyce undergo mental health evaluation and follow all treatment including seeing a licensed mental health provider who will update the court quarterly.

Boyce will have no unsupervised contact with her children and will have no power to make medical decisions for them. The prosecution also recommends 24 months of court supervision.