Jon Jones` ongoing legal troubles stemming from an alleged hit-and-run incident in February have escalated with the filing of new charges in New Mexico.
According to online records and court officials, a second case was initiated against Jones on June 30. This new complaint included the original charge of leaving the scene of an accident, plus an additional charge for using a telephone to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy, or offend.
The initial police report from the alleged February 21 incident details that Jones was accused of fleeing after officers responded to a two-vehicle collision. A female passenger in one car was found showing signs of heavy intoxication and was partially undressed.
The woman reportedly identified Jones as the driver of her vehicle who then fled on foot. She called Jones, and a police service aide spoke with him. The aide reported that Jones seemed highly intoxicated and made statements suggesting he could use lethal force via others.
The aide requested assistance. Officer Andrew Romero arrived, spoke to the person identified as Jones on the phone, and heard similar implied threats of violence. The person on the call reportedly avoided confirming their identity as Jon Jones.
Later, when police contacted Jones, he stated that the woman involved in the crash called him and passed the phone to someone she claimed was an officer. Jones asserted this individual used unprofessional language from the start, making him doubt their authenticity as law enforcement.
Police subpoenaed Jones` phone records, revealing 13 calls to the woman between 2:17 a.m. and 11:34 a.m. the day after the incident. Records also showed a gap in his phone`s location data between 11:51 p.m. and 2:11 a.m., aligning with the time of the accident.
Consequently, police filed a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident. Jones has already pleaded not guilty, and a bench trial is scheduled for August 14.
Officer Romero, who provided backup and spoke to Jones by phone at the scene, filed this new criminal complaint. It contains two counts: leaving the scene of an accident and using a telephone to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy, or offend.
An arraignment hearing is set for August 4. However, Jones` attorney, Christopher Dodd, filed a motion to dismiss the case on July 9, arguing the charges are a duplicate stemming from the same incident.
In his motion, Dodd argued, “Mr. Jones is already being prosecuted in a separate case based on the same factual claims presented in this complaint, making the filing of this second case entirely improper.” He added, “The court should dismiss this case as it infringes upon the mandatory joinder rule.”
Dodd`s motion continued, stating, “The events central to both cases are identical. Mr. Jones is now compelled to defend against two distinct cases featuring the exact same factual assertions.” He questioned why the involved APD detective and officer apparently failed to coordinate the filing of charges, suggesting either miscommunication or potentially an intentional violation of the mandatory joinder rule for strategic reasons. “Regardless,” Dodd concluded, “the outcome is the same: this case should be dismissed because Mr. Jones has been improperly charged twice for the same underlying incident.”
The case has been assigned to Judge Brittany Maldonado, who has not yet ruled on the motion to dismiss. The criminal complaint currently remains active.
Jones announced his retirement from the sport in June, shortly before the initial hit-and-run charge became public. Since then, the former heavyweight champion has suggested a potential return, mentioning he is rejoining the UFC`s anti-doping program following President Donald Trump`s announcement of plans for a 2026 fight at the White House.
