Joe P. Asher
Staff Writer
Two Harlan residents were arrested on Monday on a criminal abuse charge.
James Raymond Ball, 21, of Harlan and Brittany Delynn Jones, 25, of Harlan, were arrested by Harlan City Police at approximately 1:30 p.m.
Ball was charged with first-degree criminal abuse of a child under 12. Jones was charged with second-degree criminal abuse of a child under 12.
Officer John D. Noe explained the situation.
“We received a complaint about a domestic at Holly Point (Apartments) on Saturday. When I got there, through the investigation, I figured out at some point prior to me going over there Mr. Ball had assaulted her (Jones) and had abused a 3-year-old,” said Noe.
According to Noe, the police had been to the residence previously.
“The police department had been called to her residence Friday night and early Saturday morning,” said Noe. “Both times they were called, she failed to report the abuse of (the child) to the police.”
Noe pointed out Jones allegedly hindered the investigation.
“Even after the abuse was reported she continued to hinder our efforts to investigate…She refused to take the child to the emergency room. Mike Boggs had to basically tell her that if she didn’t take (the child) out there that he would place (the child) in protective custody,” said Noe.
Noe explained social services became involved in the case.
“She finally agreed and at that point social services met them out there and took pictures and removed the child from her home,” said Noe.
Noe explained the abuse was not sexual in nature.
Noe was the arresting officer for Jones. Ball was placed under arrest by Harlan City Police Officer Jeff Owens.
In other police news:
* James Blanton, 42, of Harlan, was arrested by the Kentucky State Police on Wednesday on a charge of theft of a controlled substance;
* Carlos Burns, 62, of Bledsoe, was arrested by the Kentucky State Police on a charge of first-degree trafficking a controlled substance;
* Danny Johnson, 46, of Loyall, was arrested by the Loyall Police Department on Monday and charged with second-degree trafficking a controlled substance;
* Harold Jones, 68, of Lynch, was arrested on Tuesday by the Lynch Police Department and charged with being a fugitive from another state;
* Robert Middleton, 21, of Cawood, was arrested by the Kentucky State Police on Wednesday and charged with two counts of second-degree burglary and two counts of third-degree criminal mischief.
Reach Joe P. Asher at 606-573-4510 or jasher@heartlandpublications.com



















