Ralkina Jones Dies In Jail In Cleveland Suburb

There were "no suspicious injuries" on her body, but the cause of death remains unknown.

A woman who was arrested at her ex-husband's place of work Friday died in her jail cell bed over the weekend, police say.

Ralkina Jones, 37, of Cleveland, died on Sunday in the Cleveland Heights jail.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on Monday. Spokesman Chris Harris told HuffPost that there were "no suspicious injuries" to Jones' body, but said that "further studies" were needed to determine a cause of death.

Jones was arrested after allegedly attacking her former spouse around 10:25 p.m. on Friday. Brandon Jones told police that his ex-wife smashed the driver's side window of his Ford Expedition with a tire iron, according to an arrest report, in addition to striking him in the arm with the iron and leaving a gash.

As her ex-husband walked away after taking control of the iron, Jones allegedly climbed into her car and drove it straight at him and the other man he was with. Both men jumped out of the way, according to the report.

Jones was charged with felonious assault, criminal mischief, creating a disturbance, domestic violence and endangering a child, because her 12-year-old daughter was in her car while she allegedly tried to run down the two men. Brandon Jones declined to press charges, the report says.

While taking Ralkina Jones into custody, officers learned that she "was being treated for several medical conditions," Cleveland Heights Police Chief Jeffrey Robertson said in a statement Monday. While in custody, Jones received prescription medications "as directed," Robertson said.

But at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, Jones was taken by ambulance to a hospital because jail personnel noticed that she appeared "lethargic." She was treated and returned to the jail at 10:40 p.m., the statement said.

Paramedics were summoned again just over two hours later, but found that Jones' vital signs were normal. Guards checked on her throughout the night, Robertson said, but at an unspecified time she was "found unresponsive in the bed of the holding cell."

This story has been updated to include further information from the police report of Jones' arrest and the police chief's statement.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified Brandon Jones as Ralkina Jones' husband, based on incorrect initial reports by local media outlets. He is her ex-husband.

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