Mom Accused Of Drowning Girl Ruled Incompetent To Stand Trial
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- The 25-year-old St. Paul mother accused of drowning her 6-year-old daughter has been found incompetent to stand trial.
Kayla Marie Jones allegedly drowned the girl after an argument with her boyfriend the day before Christmas Eve.
Results of a mental health evaluation were presented Thursday at a hearing for 25-year-old Kayla Jones, who was wearing a protective green vest at her appearance.
Police responded to a call at an apartment on the 1550 block of Maynard Avenue East on the report of a girl drowned in a bathtub. When they arrived, they found Jones standing by a fire truck. She put her hands in the air as if to surrender.
Responding officers also encountered a man identified as Jones' boyfriend. He said he had argued with her earlier and went to a nearby bus stop. She later walked up to him in wet clothes and told him to call 911.
The boyfriend then went back to her apartment, where he saw the girl under water in the bathtub.
"Is this really happening? This can't be happening! Things aren't that bad," he said, according to court documents. "How could she do this to her daughter?"
The girl, Azaria Jones, was taken to Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Kayla Jones later told officers she was trying to "save her from this world." She said she believed that her daughter had been molested because she saw the girl sleeping with her hands in her pants.
Jones was charged with one count of second-degree murder in Ramsey County.
Judge Joy Bartscher said Jones would be transported to Regions Hospital for further evaluation, and would be referred for civil commitment.
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