UTAH COUNTY, Utah, April 29, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A Payson man was arrested Sunday after he allegedly knocked out a woman’s teeth and assaulted a man on crutches; all while on probation for domestic violence.
A probable cause statement from Utah County said Jeris Ron Hughes, 34, is facing charges of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; assault, a class B misdemeanor; interruption/interference of a communications device, a class B misdemeanor; and intoxication, a class C misdemeanor.
The probable cause statement said on Saturday, a female with injuries to her face called for an ambulance in Utah County and ended up being transported to an area hospital.
“She had been beat up pretty bad in the face, her lips were all cut up and she had two teeth knocked out of her mouth during an altercation,” the statement said. “She was apprehensive at first to give information but she ended up advising that Jeris Hughes was intoxicated and out of control, he beat her up.”
A second male victim reported that Hughes was “out of control and intoxicated,” the statement said.
“Jeris head butted this male a few times and was pushing and shoving him around trying to get him to leave,” the statement said. “This male was on crutches at the time and fled the house without his crutches to get away from Jeris. He said that Jeris followed him outside, pushed him down and took his cell phone so that he could not call the police. This male hobbled to a neighbor’s house and asked for help.”
Officials searched for Hughes and did not locate him, but he was found the next day at the address where the assault allegedly occurred and taken into custody.
“Jeris has advised me that he doesn’t remember much because he was drunk but that I could probably find the second victim’s cell phone out back of the house in a field,” the statement said. “The first victim advises that she had a year-and-a-half relationship with Jeris that ended a few months ago. She said that relationship included consensual sex.”
Hughes and the woman also lived together, the probable cause statement said.
Hughes was already on felony probation with Adult Probation and Parole. He was arrested April 5 of this year after he allegedly punched the same woman and pushed her friend down a small flight of stairs. After pleading no contest to the assault on April 15, he was given a suspended jail sentence of six months, a $1,000 fine and was placed on probation for one year.
He also has a long criminal history.
Hughes was transported to Utah County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
