10-year-old 'plays dead' to survive as mother charged with aggravated child abuse attempts to drown him
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COLBERT COUNTY, ALABAMA: Police allege that a 34-year-old woman from Sheffield attempted to drown her son, resulting in her being charged with aggravated child abuse.
According to records, Ashley Elizabeth Jones, the mother of the 10-year-old son, faced charges of aggravated child abuse.
As per an affidavit presented to the Colbert County District Court, Jones allegedly bit and struck her son, and then soaked him in bleach before trying to drown him in a bathtub.
The child complained about abuse to his father
The boy informed his father that his mother had been subjecting him to physical abuse for the previous week, resulting in her arrest. The couple had joint custody of their child.
According to court documents, the boy recounted to an investigator that his mother had struck him, bitten him, confined him in a closet, and drenched him in bleach.
Subsequently, he disclosed that his mother had attempted to drown him in the bathtub. The child stated that he expressed his preference to live with his father instead of her. In response, she allegedly drenched him in bleach.
He asserted that she leaped into the tub with him, seized his head, and submerged it underwater for approximately 45 seconds while he was bathing to remove the bleach. He recounted that he "played dead" and remained still to compel her to stop, according to AL.com
After the incident, he stated that she confined him in a closet for three hours. Furthermore, the boy exhibited cuts and bruises which he alleged were inflicted by his mother.
Ashley Jones was released after posting a $50,000 bond
According to the documents, Jones promised to appear when requested to address the allegations but failed to do so.
Subsequently, police issued a "be on the lookout" for her vehicle. Jones was located on Monday, April 22, and according to the documents, she denied each and every accusation, WAAY-TV reported.
Jones was taken into custody earlier this week and was subsequently released after posting a $50,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court on May 20.
