South Tahoe couple jailed on child abuse charges

A South Lake Tahoe couple was arrested Wednesday on child abuse charges.

Demetrius and Leann Jones have been under investigation since the beginning of the year by South Lake Tahoe police officer after bringing their 3-month-old daughter to Barton Memorial Hospital alleging she became unresponsive at home. Because of the severity of her injuries, the baby was airlifted to Renown Medical Center in Reno. Officers said the Joneses told them there had been an accident at home.

Doctors became suspicious of the story because the injuries didn’t match the account of the accident, according to law enforcement. The infant had severe brain damage, bleeding in the brain, and retinal hemorrhages.

As a result, Child Protective Services removed the baby from the Joneses.

The Joneses were also charged with attempting to obtain a money under false pretenses after they solicited several churches in the area for money to help with transportation to visit the baby. The Joneses were not allowed to visit the baby, except for supervised visits, after she was removed from their custody.