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BUCKHANNON -- A Buckhannon woman who allegedly struck her partner in the head with a King Kong statue and then later locked herself in a closet was arrested for several offenses this week.
Deon Jones, 44, was arrested for domestic battery third offense, a felony, and resisting an officer, a misdemeanor, according to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk's office.
On Aug. 26, Patrolman Sam Kraemer with the Buckhannon Police Department responded to 220 Randolph St. for a domestic battery. He was met by the victim who stated that Jones had allegedly struck him in the head with the small statute of King Kong that he had on a table. The victim stepped outside to get away from the situation and Jones slammed the door and locked it.
The victim used a spare key to gain access to the residence and found that Jones that fled from the residence out the back door.
Kramer was dispatched back to the residence after Jones returned and the victim reported that she had locked herself in the bathroom closet and was refusing to come out, according to the criminal complaint.
Kramer knocked on the door and identified himself before giving Jones several verbal commands to exit the closet so she could be arrested. However, Jones refused and told the officer she was not going to jail.
"Eventually, I was able to remove the hinges form the door and open the door," Kraemer wrote in the criminal complaint. "I then advised Jones to stand up, which she refused."
Jones fell further in the closet after pulling away from Kraemer, but the officer was able to get Jones to stand up and she pulled away again.
Jones refused commands, but Kraemer was able to roll Jones on to her stomach and place her in hand restraints.
Kraemer did not observe any apparent marks on the victim but stated in the criminal complaint that this was the third call regarding Jones officers had responded into. In prior calls, Jones was destroying items in the house and bothering neighbors while in an intoxicated state.
Jones has two prior domestic battery convictions from Oct. 16, 2014 and Dec. 14, 2015.
Magistrate Kay Hurst set bond at $10,000 cash or surety for the felony and $1,500 personal recognizance for the misdemeanor.
In a separate case, Charyn Forture, 31, of Chapmanville, was arrested for grand larceny and conspiracy, both felonies, and driving while license revoked for non-DUI third offense, a misdemeanor, by Deputy Dakota Linger with the Upshur County Sheriff's Department.
On April 1, Cpl. Tyler Gordon and Sgt. Dewaine Linger received an anonymous tip of a possible stolen four-wheeler n the back of a van on 294 Boonie Hall Rd., according to the criminal complaint. The deputies identified the stolen four-wheeler and had the van towed.
Deputy Dakota Linger followed up and on April 12 went to the Boonie Hall residence where a Matthew Williams and Fortune were living. Fortune allegedly admitted to conspiring with an unknown individual about stealing the 2010 Polaris four-wheeler from a residence on the Gould Road. The four-wheeler was valued at $2,000. On Jan. 10, Fortune told Deputy Linger she stole the four-wheeler by driving it down the Gould Road towards Adrian. Fortune also admitted the van the four wheeler belonged to was her van.
Forture has two prior convictions for driving suspended on Jan. 29, 2018 and Dec. 30, 2019.
Hurst set bond at $40,000 cash or surety for the two felonies and $1,500 personal recognizance for the misdemeanor.
In another separate case, the BPD arrested an Upshur County teen, Joseph Tomasula, 19, of French Creek, for fleeing from an officer with reckless indifference, a felony.
On Aug. 26, Sgt. Darin Hissam was monitoring traffic on Route 33 when he clocked a 2012 Dodge Challenger traveling westbound at 138 mph in a 65 mph zone, according to the criminal complaint. Hissam activated his emergency lights and siren and pulled out to attempt to initiate a traffic stop. The vehicle briefly tapped his brakes but then accelerated and continued to speed off at a high rate of speed.
Hissam notified Upshur County E-911 of the pursuit and asked them to contact Lewis County. The officer lost sight of the vehicle at the intersection with Brushy Fork Road.
However, Cpl. V.J. Pyles of the West Virginia State Police was familiar with the vehicle and stopped at Tomasula's father's residence. Pyles later advised Tomasula was on his way to the BPD to speak with Hissam.
Tomasula allegedly admitted to Hissam that he had intentionally fled from the officer because he knew he had been clocked going in the 130s.
Hurst set bond at $5,000 cash or surety.