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Man arrested in Vegas for murder of toddler makes first Spokane court appearance

The suspect, John Jones, was transferred from Clark County Jail in Nevada. As of Tuesday night, he has been booked into Spokane County Jail.

SPOKANE, Wash. — The man accused of killing a three-year-old in Spokane last month has been transferred from Clark County Jail in Nevada.

As of Tuesday night, the suspect,  John Jones, has been booked into the Spokane County Jail. He was arrested in Las Vegas on Feb. 1, a day after his girlfriend's three-year-old son was found dead in her home in northeast Spokane. He is facing second-degree murder charges.

Jones' bond was set at $1 million following his first appearance in Spokane County District Court Wednesday.

According to court documents, Spokane Fire received a report of a child not breathing on Jan. 31. When crews arrived at the home, medics found the three-year-old boy dead. The child’s mother told police earlier that day Jones was alone with her two children for about two hours while she shopped.

He left after the family returned home to deliver a birthday gift to his daughter, according to court documents. The mother told police Jones called her to say he was getting pulled over by police and received a $500 ticket. He called again and told the mother to report the car stolen. 

While he was gone, the mother later noticed the three-year-old was cold to the touch and called for help. Jones never returned. 

But, he repeatedly called and texted the mother while investigators were at the home. At one point, the mother put him on speaker phone and officers heard Jones say, “I am gone. I am gone.”

 According to court documents, the Spokane County Medical Examiner noted multiple bruises all over the toddler, including broken ribs. They described the injuries as similar to trauma from a serious vehicle collision or from falling two to three stories.

While searching for the mother's vehicle, Las Vegas police were able to locate it the day after the child's death and took Jones into custody after a traffic stop.

Jones's prior criminal history shows he served 18 months in community custody from April 2010 to January 2011 for second-degree robbery and harassment. He later served seven years in prison from June 2014 to April 2021.

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