Alabama 10-Year-Old Boy Told Police He ‘Played Dead’ After Mother Tried to Drown Him: Cops
April 29 2024, Published 2:01 p.m. ET
A 10-year-old boy in Alabama told his mother he wanted to live with his father, so she tried to drown him in the bathtub, bit and hit him, threw bleach on him and then locked him in a closet, police claim.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by People, the boy called his father on April 21 and asked him to pick him up from his mother’s house.
Once the father arrived, the boy ran out and objected when his father said he needed to talk to his mother about the unscheduled pick up.
The father then called police after the boy told him about the alleged abuse, the affidavit states.
The boy claimed that his mother, Ashley Elizabeth Jones, threw bleach on him when he said he wanted to live with his dad.
After he went to wash off the bleach, the boy said, Jones came into the bathroom and held his face under water, according to the affidavit. The boy said he played dead to get his mother to stop, and she then locked him in a closet for what he believed to be several hours, the affidavit shows.
Court documents state the boy showed police scrapes and bruises on his body that he alleged came from his mother.
While the affidavit did not indicate when the bathtub incident allegedly occurred, the child claimed the incidents of abuse happened between April 15 and April 21.
Investigators spoke to Jones on April 21, and she agreed to come into the police station to discuss the boy’s allegations. However, authorities said, she never showed up.
A “be on the lookout” alert was issued for her vehicle, and on April 22, she was arrested, officials said.
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Jones faces charges of aggravated child abuse, authorities said.
Jones, who denied the allegations against her, was released after posting bond.
She is due back in court on May 20.
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