Woman charged with abusing disabled relative
Douglas Walker
MUNCIE, Ind. – A Muncie woman has been accused of battering a disabled member of her family.
Judith N. Jones, 72, of the 3400 block of West Fleetwood Drive, was charged last week with domestic battery against a disabled person, a Level 6 felony carrying up to 18 months in prison.
The charge stems from allegations involving a woman in her 20s – a member of Jones’ extended family – who has Down syndrome and is autistic, according to a report by a Delaware County sheriff’s investigator.
The deputy wrote that a home healthcare worker reported Jones “used Clorox wipes to wipe out (the disabled woman’s) mouth,” bent her fingers back and “smacked her on the mouth.”
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The healthcare worker – who provided authorities with videos of Jones and the disabled woman – also said Jones would “eat sweets in front of the victim and only give the victim water.”
Investigator William Curtis II wrote that Jones denied abusing the woman. After being shown the videos, the Muncie woman asked to consult with an attorney, he added.
Jones – who appears to have no criminal record – is scheduled to appear at an initial hearing in Delaware Circuit Court 1 on Nov. 15.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.