Hit-And-Run Case Against UFC Ex-Champ Jon Jones Stalls
RUSSELL CONTRERAS, Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An Albuquerque hit-and-run case against former UFC champion fighter Jon "Bones" Jones has stalled due to a delay in obtaining records, prosecutors said.
The Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office said Monday a deadline had passed without the state moving forward because prosecutors are still waiting on dispatch reports and medical records for a pregnant women involved in the crash.
The state had 60 days after the release of Jones to present a case to the court, District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Kayla Anderson said. Without the evidence in the records, she said, a judge could dismiss the case.
Anderson, however, said prosecutors anticipate moving forward when they have a completed case investigation.
Police say officers were told by witnesses that Jones ran from a crash in April that hospitalized the pregnant motorist then quickly returned to grab a handful of cash from his rental car.
Authorities say the accident occurred in southeastern Albuquerque when the driver of a rented SUV ran a red light.
Officers found a pipe with marijuana in the SUV as well as MMA and rental car documents in Jones' name, according to a police report.
Jones and his lawyer have not commented about the case.
He faces a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injuries or death.
Jones, 27, was released on a $2,500 bond. A judge did not impose travel restrictions.
Shortly after his arrest, Jones was stripped of his UFC light heavyweight title and suspended indefinitely.
Jones (21-1) had reigned atop the sport after his lengthy run of dominant fights but has endured legal problems and questionable behavior during most of his championship tenure.
Jones was arrested in 2012 after crashing his Bentley into a telephone pole in Binghamton, New York. He had his driver's license suspended after being charged with DWI. He did no jail time.
Last August, Jones and fighter Daniel Cormier were involved in a brawl in the lobby of the MGM Grand casino while appearing at a promotional event. Jones was fined $50,000 and ordered to do community service by the Nevada Athletic Commission.
In early December, Jones tested positive for metabolites of cocaine while training. He was allowed to compete because the test was conducted out of competition, and he beat Cormier.
When the failed drug test became public, Jones publicly apologized for a "mistake" then spent just one day in a drug rehabilitation center before checking himself out.
Jones is a native of upstate New York. He now lives in New Mexico and works under prominent trainer Greg Jackson. Jones has two brothers who play in the NFL.
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