Jon “Bones” Jones, the UFC Lightweight Champion, is wanted for questioning after a hit-and-run accident in Albuquerque, New Mexico on April 25. (Getty)
UFC Lightweight Champion Jon Jones is wanted for questioning about a hit-and-run accident in Albuquerque, New Mexico, police said in a statement.
“The Albuquerque Police Department is actively seeking UFC Fighter Jon Jones for questioning in regards to his possible involvement in a hit-and-run accident, near the intersection of Juan Tabo and Southern, in Southeast Albuquerque early this morning, April 26, 2015,” police said.
The crash sent a pregnant woman in her 20s to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The woman’s name was not released by police.
Jones, 27, lives in Albuquerque and trains at a gym, Jackson-Winklejohn MMA, based there. Jones, originally from Rochester, New York, is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC with a 22-1 career record.
“The Albuquerque Police Department is asking Mr. Jones to please contact us as we continue to investigate by calling (505) 242-COPS (2677),” police said.
The Associated Press reported Monday night that Jones was expected to turn himself in to police after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He will be charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injuries, which is a felony.
View the arrest warrant here.
The UFC said in a statement, “We are aware that the Albuquerque Police Department is interested in speaking to Jon Jones regarding his possible involvement in a motor vehicle accident. We are in the process of gathering facts and will reserve further comment until more information is available.”
From ABQ PD just now: We have not heard from Jon or his lawyer. We are currently following up with the victim to check on her health status.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Police Said They ‘Don’t Know Where He Is Right Now’
(Getty)
Police have not been able to locate Jones, according to MMA Fighting.
“[We] don’t know where he is right now,” police spokesman Simon Drobik told the MMA news website. “We’re trying to figure that out.”
Police said in a statement, “Officers attempted to contact Mr. Jones at his residence Sunday evening, but were unsuccessful. We have also reached out to his lawyer, but as of now, have not heard back.”
Here’s what we know: 1.Jon Jones IS NOT in custody. 2.He’s wanted for questioning. 3.Police haven’t seen his car. 4.No contact w/ him yet.
All the closest sources I know to JBJ have not spoken to him in over 24 hours. Trying to weed fact from fiction, friends. Please standby.
2. Police Say Drugs & Paperwork Belonging to Jones Were Found in a Car at the Crash Scene
Jon Jones in 2015. (Getty)
The police report on the hit-and-run crash was released to the MMA Report on Monday.
According to the report, a silver SUV ran a red light and struck a Honda that was driving through the intersection with a green light. The SUV hit the Honda on its driver’s side. Another driver told police he witnessed the crash.
The driver of the SUV got out of the vehicle and ran away from the scene, the other drivers told police. Witnesses said the SUV’s driver was a black male wearing a white button-up shirt and dark pants. Witnesses told police the driver ran onto a hill east of the accident scene, slouched over, and then ran back to the SUV “grabbing a large hand full (sic) of cash. Witnesses stated he shoved the cash into his pants and ran north,” jumping a nearby fence.
An off-duty officer said he saw “Jonathan Jones the MMA fighter” exit the SUV and run up a dirt hill. He said he watched Jones run back to the SUV and then lost sight of him.
Arriving officers looked for the driver, but were unable to locate him.
Police said they found a marijuana pipe inside the SUV with marijuana inside it. The officers also found paperwork belonging to a Jonathan Jones “which had MMA information on it.”
A cell phone number was found for Jon Jones. An officer called him several times and left a message, but he did not answer or return the call. Police also tried to get information on the rental car, but the office was closed.
3. Jones Was Arrested For DUI in 2012 After a Car Crash in New York & Has Had Several Other Incidents
Jon Jones at a training session in 2014. (Getty)
Jones was arrested in Binghamton, New York in 2012 following a car crash and charged with driving under the influence. According to Sports Illustrated, Jones, who was then 24 and entering the second year of his title reign, crashed his 2012 Bentley into a telephone pole. There were two women in the car with him at the time and they both suffered cuts, bruises and swelling from the crash, according to the accident report.
SI reported at the time:
An uninjured Jones had “slurred speech and glassy bloodshot eyes,” smelled of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet when asked to step out of his vehicle, wrote the arresting officer.
The fighter “politely refused” multiple requests to take sobriety and breathalyzer tests at the scene and after he was arrested and taken into custody, said Binghamton Police Dept. Captain John Chapman. Toxicology tests were not conducted, as there were no serious injuries, said Chapman.
The front of Jones’ 2012 black Bentley sustained heavy damage, said the report.
“There were no skids marks at the scene,” wrote the arresting officer. “It appeared as though Jones was attempting a turn north onto Helen [St.] and miscalculated his turn.”
An uninjured Jones had “slurred speech and glassy bloodshot eyes,” smelled of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet when asked to step out of his vehicle, wrote the arresting officer.
Jones pleaded guilty in June 2012 and had his license suspended. He was living in Ithaca, New York at the time of the crash.
SI reported that Jones was cited in New Mexico seven months before the crash for driving with a suspended license. He was also involved in accidents in New York in December 2008 and January 2009, and in New Mexico, in January 2011, according to SI. He was cited for “unsafe passing” in the January 2009 collision. None of those crashes involved alcohol.
Jones posted on Instagram just three weeks ago about how he has “matured” since the Bentley crash and is going to buy a Corvette, since “it’s about time for a fast car again.”
https://instagram.com/p/1CAMBXMDHW/?taken-by=jonnybones
4. Jones Entered Rehab & Was Fined in January After Testing Positive For Cocaine
Jones was fined $25,000 by the UFC and entered rehab for one day after testing positive for cocaine a month before his January 3, 2015 fight against Daniel Cormier, which he won. Cocaine is not a prohibited substance in the UFC, but he was fined for violating the organization’s code of conduct policy. He said he used the cocaine at a party.
He told Fox Sports that he doesn’t have a drug problem:
Me going to rehab … it was like a collective decision between myself and some of my business partners. They thought it would be good. I told them right away, ‘I don’t have a drug problem; I just got caught.’ They said, ‘Jon, we don’t know if you have a drug problem or not and, listen, how about you go to rehab and let them decide on how healthy you are or not.’
This whole situation has been really embarrassing. I had to explain to so many people that I’m not a cocaine addict by any means or not even a frequent user. I just made a really dumb decision and got caught with my pants down in this whole situation. No excuse for it. I can just apologize.
Jones was also fined $50,000 and given 40 hours of community service by the Nevada Athletic Commission after getting into a brawl with Cormier in the MGM Grand lobby in the lead up to their fight.
5. Jones Is Scheduled to Fight Anthony Johnson in May at UFC 187
Jon Jones, left, fights Rashad Evans in 2012. (Getty)
Jones is set to fight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson on May 23, 2015 in Las Vegas.
Rumors have circulated that the fight, scheduled to be the card’s main event, could be in jeopardy. Johnson’s manager, Glenn Robinson, told MMA Fighting that he had not heard anything about the fight being off.
Greg Jackson told me he’s unaware of any updates on Jon Jones’s whereabouts. Albuquerque police are looking for Jones. Mystery continues.
UFC President Dana White told Yahoo Sports he is still trying to gather all the facts about the incident and no decisions have been made about the fight.
