WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah, Aug. 14, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A former employee of a Southern Utah residential treatment center for boys has been booked into jail, charged with felony child abuse, after Washington County Sheriff’s officials say he caused a serious head injury to a juvenile in his care.
Antonio Montav Ross-Jones, 23, was booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility on suspicion of one count of child abuse — inflicting serious physical injury intentionally, a second-degree felony. The injury inflicted required doctors to apply 11 staples to close the wound, the probable cause statement says.
Ross-Jones was interviewed Tuesday, then was taken into custody.
“A physical altercation occurred involving Antonio and a 16-year-old juvenile male student,” the probable cause statement says.
“The juvenile male student appeared to be thrown to the ground on two separate occasions while being held in a choke hold style restraint. He was also ‘slammed’ against the counter top, as Antonio phrased it. The second time that the student appeared to be thrown down, Antonio stated he was holding the student and just let him go,” the statement says.
The incident was captured on the treatment center’s surveillance recording, “… which Antonio narrated as we watched together during the interview,” the statement says.
Treatment center officials said Ross-Jones did not restrain the juvenile in keeping with provided training. Ross-Jones confirmed that fact, and admitted to officials that he could have asked for help restraining the patient.
“Antonio stated he accepts responsibility for his actions,” the statement says.
His bail is set at $10,000.
