Name:
Jones, Yakara
Date of Booking:
09/06/2023
Reason(s) For Booking:
Cruelty to Child-Cause Excessive Physical/Mental Pain-1st Degree
Terroristic Threats and Acts (Misd)
Simple Battery
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On September 9, 2023 at approximately 1830 hours, I, Officer P.C. Daniel with the Adairsville Police Department Patrol Division, was dispatched to [500 BLCOK] Martin Luther King Dr APT [REDACTED], Adairsville GA 30103 in reference to a 9 year old female juvenile being hit by an adult female.
Upon arriving on scene, I met with the juvenile’s mother, Ms. [WITNESS #1]. I asked Ms. [WITNESS #1] to explain to me the incident that had occurred. She advised me that her daughter went to [500 BLCOK] Martin Luther King Dr Apt [REDACTED] to play with Ms. Yakara Jones dog.
She stated her daughter came running back into the house crying and saying that Ms. Jones had hit her. Ms. [WITNESS #1] stated there were no visible marks on her daughter.
I spoke to Ms. [VICTIM #1] who is the grandmother of the juvenile. Ms. [VICTIM #1] advised me when her granddaughter came back home and stated what had happened she went to Ms. Jones’ house to ask her about the incident.
She advised she knocked on the door and asked Ms. Jones if she hit her granddaughter. She advised me Ms. Jones stated “yes I did and I will hit you too”. Ms. [VICTIM #1] advised me after this statement she returned home and contacted Bartow 911.
Ms. [VICTIM #1] advised me that a woman who lives in APT [REDACTED], Ms. [WITNESS #2], witnessed the whole incident. I made contact with Ms. [WITNESS #2] and asked her to explain what she had witnessed.
She advised me she saw the little girl sitting on the side walk playing with Ms. Jones’ puppy and that Ms. Jones then came to the little girl and began hitting her approximately 3 to 4 times on her side. She then stated the little girl began screaming and ran home.
Sgt Ware, Officer Mercado, and myself went to APT [REDACTED] to make contact with Ms. Jones. Ms. Jones came to the door and had indications that she was under the influence of alcohol.
Sgt Ware asked Ms. Jones how much she had to drink today and she stated “I just woke up and started drinking”. Sgt Ware asked Ms. Jones about the incident and she advised officers that she did not hit any children and the children were messing with her dog.
I advised Ms. Jones to stand up and place her hands behind her back. I placed Ms. Jones into handcuffs which were checked for fit and double locked and conducted a search of her person. Ms. Jones was placed into the back of Sgt. Ware’s patrol vehicle and transported to the Bartow County Jail.
I spoke with the juvenile victim and asked her to explain what had happened and she advised me she was just sitting on the side walk playing with Ms. Jones’, puppy when Ms. Jones came outside and began yelling at her and hit her on her side side approximately 3 to 4 times.
Ms. Jones was charged with OCGA 16-5-70 (B) Cruelty to children in the first degree, OCGA 16-5-23 Simple Battery and OCGA 16-11-37 Terroristic threats and acts.
Witness statement forms were filled out by two witnesses and one victim and added to the case file.
[End of Narrative]