HAZELWOOD, Mo. — A 35-year-old man has been charged for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting his partner, as well as endangering the couple's children during an incident in mid-June.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged Brandon Jones with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count each of third-degree domestic assault and kidnapping. Jones was also charged with resisting arrest.
According to the prosecuting attorney's office, the Hazelwood Police Department investigated a June 18 incident in the 700 block of Riderwood Drive between Jones and his partner, the victim.
The investigation showed that Jones and the victim were arguing in front of their two children, a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, inside their home.
Jones allegedly pushed the victim into a corner and hit her during the argument. The victim attempted to leave the home with the couple's two children, but Jones told her she was not allowed to leave.
When the victim fled the home, Jones, who the prosecuting attorney's office said is much larger than the victim, ran after her and kept her from leaving by dragging her back to the house by her arms and legs and pulling her hair and clothes. The statement said Jones yelled at the victim while dragging her back into the house, "You ain't going anywhere!"
Jones then proceeded to grab the two children and put them in the road outside the home, the statement said.
The victim then ran to get her keys from inside the home, according to the prosecuting attorney's office. Jones chased after her and attempted to lock her in the house, leaving the two toddlers alone in the road.
The victim was finally able to escape the house, but only had the time to grab one of the two toddlers before fleeing to the Hazelwood Police Department, the statement said.
Police noticed red, rash-like marks on the victim's arms and legs while at the police department.
Jones is being held on a $65,000 cash-only bond, with no 10% allowed.
Resources for those experiencing domestic violence:
If you or someone you know needs help, you can call the Safe Connections Crisis Helpline at 314-531-2003. You can also text that number from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, free of charge. https://safeconnections.org/
Alternatives to Living In Violent Environments (ALIVE) also has a crisis line at 314-993-2777 and they have a number for Franklin County at 800-941-9144. https://alivestl.org/
The Women's Safe House can be reached 24 hours a day at 314-772-4535. https://twsh.org/
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