LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – Jason Lee Jones, the 33-year-old Leavenworth man responsible for watching his girlfriend's son while she worked, appeared in court Tuesday charged with murder.
Leavenworth County prosecutors charged Jones with felony murder and one count of child abuse. A source close to the investigation tells NBC Action News the child died of blunt force trauma.
Police say the child, Gabriel Rivera, was brought to an area hospital Sunday with unspecified injuries. He died later that evening.
Jones is the fiancée of Gabriel’s mother, who as of Tuesday did not face any criminal charges in the case. She was in court at the time of the hearing, even making eye contact with him. She did not answer questions from reporters as she left court.
Another woman, who would only identify herself as a woman who spent nearly 10 years with Jones, described him as a man with a violent temper.
When asked if Jones had ever abused her, the woman answered, "physically abuse, mentally abuse... I don't put nothing past him."
Court records detail violence and trouble with law enforcement including domestic battery charges in 2005 and battery charges involving a then 4-year-old boy. He was released from Lansing Correctional Facility earlier this year for aggravated assault.
"We had dealt with him in other matters we can't really disclose," said Leavenworth County attorney Todd Thompson, who added, "It is my understanding he has had parenting classes due to a history of child abuse."
Bond was set at $750,000. His next appearance will be Friday.
Stay with NBC Action News and NBCActionNews.com for more on this story as it develops.
