Charges against teen may be upgraded
A Houston man whose teenage girlfriend allegedly scalded him with boiling water last month died Sunday, according to his hospital.
Ira Jones, 33, had shared a home with Keira Jones, 17, until June 18, when she poured boiling water over him after she became angry with him for talking to another woman, according to court documents.
Keira Jones allegedly fled their home, in the 1000 block of East 32nd, after the incident, but was later arrested and charged with aggravated assault of a family member that uses a deadly weapon and causes serious injury. It was unclear if that charge would be upgraded after Ira Jones' death.
"She is currently charged with a first-degree felony," said Donna Hawkins, spokeswoman for the Harris County District Attorney's office. "Murder is also a first-degree felony. So changing the charge would not enhance the range of punishment."
Ira Jones' family could not be reached for comment on Sunday. He had been treated at Memorial Hermann Hospital for second-degree burns over 15 percent of his body. After initial treatment, he was not expected to survive his injuries, according to court documents.
Keira Jones was being held in the Harris County Jail.
After the incident, neighbors said the couple had been together for at least two years — since she was 15. The criminal complaint against the teenager identifies her as the man's girlfriend.
On what appeared to be her Facebook page, Keira Jones traced the relationship with her much-older boyfriend.
On April 23, she posted being at home with her "husband," whom she identified as Ira Jones Jr.
She continued along that vein for several days on Facebook, saying, "He brings so much joy to me."
Her Facebook postings became darker within a few days. On May 2, Keira Jones wrote that she was "letting (him) go" and "can do better" without him.
In later expletive-filled Facebook postings, Keira Jones condemned people who "claim they love you but when you need them they (are) never there."
On June 19, the day after police said Keira Jones threw the boiling water, her Facebook status suddenly changed to "single."
On June 21, the day Harris County prosecutors filed the aggravated assault charge against her, Keira Jones posted her latest comment on Facebook.
"You shouldn't have hurt me the way you did and (you) wouldn't have (gotten) the reaction I gave you," she wrote.
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