Blaine woman accused of child torture to be arraigned Friday in Whatcom County Court
The Blaine woman facing almost a dozen felony charges for allegedly torturing four children is scheduled to appear for her arraignment hearing Friday in Whatcom County Superior Court.
Tana Perkins Reneau, 51, was formally charged earlier this month with four counts of second-degree child assault, one count of first-degree child rape, one count of second-degree child rape, one count of third-degree child rape, and one count of second-degree assault, all related to the alleged years-long physical and sexual abuse of four children, according to court records.
Reneau will be asked to enter a plea regarding the charges at the arraignment hearing. She was booked into the Whatcom County Jail after being arrested June 2. Her bail was originally set at $500,000. She has since bonded out of custody, jail records show.
The alleged abuse occurred from January 2020 through May 2023, court records show. Reneau’s arrest came after Whatcom County detectives were assigned to investigate through state Child Protective Services.
Three female children ranging in age from 7 to 14 and one male child over the age of 10 known to Reneau came forward with allegations, according to court records.
Reneau has at least six children, four of whom are adopted.
Alleged abuse
Each of the assault charges state that Reneau intentionally assaulted the four children, which caused bodily harm greater than transient pain or minor temporary marks. The charges also include allegations that Reneau had previously engaged in a pattern or practice of assaulting the children creating bodily harm greater than transient pain or minor marks, court documents state.
Child forensic interviews conducted by staff at Brigid Collins Family Support Center found that some of the physical pain suffered by the children “was equivalent to that produced by torture.” Medical exams of the children found scarring and markings consistent with abuse. Two of the children were found to have chipped teeth, the documents state.
Three of the four children are Black and Reneau, who is white, called them racial slurs, according to court documents.
Community ties
Reneau previously taught in the Kennewick School District in the Tri-Cities for 13 years before moving to Blaine in 2011, The Herald previously reported.
Since moving to Whatcom County more than a decade ago, Reneau has served on multiple curriculum and technology adoption committees, but it’s unclear whether she’s ever taught in Blaine schools.
She has also filed to run for an open seat on the Blaine School Board and will face two other candidates in the Aug. 1 primary. She previously ran unsuccessfully for the school board in 2019. Reneau will remain on the school board ballot as long as she is not convicted of a felony and meets all other qualifications, according to Whatcom County Auditor Diana Bradrick.
Reneau has been involved with North Whatcom County Young Life ministry and was a leader in the YoungLives program, which aimed to offer guidance, resources and support to teenage mothers.
Reneau was also the director of Lions Camp Horizon, which is a recreational camp for children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. Reneau has been suspended without pay from her position as director with the camp, The Blaine Northern Light first reported. The camp has appointed an interim director, according to its website.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:
Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.
Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.
Tl’ils Ta’á’altha Victims of Crime: 360-325-3310 or nooksacktribe.org/departments/youth-family-services/tlils-taaaltha-victims-of-crime-program/
Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.
WWU Survivor Advocacy Services at the Counseling & Wellness Center: 360-650-7982 or https://cwc.wwu.edu/survivorservices.
Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.
Some information for this story was provided by Bellingham Herald reporter Denver Pratt and TriCities Herald reporter Eric Rosane.
This story was originally published June 15, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
