A 22-year-old Elyria man is facing two misdemeanor charges after allegedly threatening his child’s grandmother and attempting to force his way into her home to retrieve his daughter.
According to police, officers were dispatched to a residence on Service Drive around 4:00 p.m. on July 7 after receiving a report of a possible burglary. Upon arrival, officers spoke with the child’s grandmother, who reported that Alphonso Jones Jr. had come to the home uninvited, banged on the front door while making threats, and then attempted to look inside the house by removing a window air conditioning unit.
The woman told officers she was caring for her 5-year-old granddaughter at the time of the incident. She said Jones shouted that he was “going to kick [her] ass,” prompting her to hide in the bathroom and call 911.
During the confrontation, police say Jones demanded the child be handed over to him. A man inside the home told the girl to go with her father to prevent the situation from escalating. Jones then left the scene in a black sedan with the child.
Police later located Jones at his residence on Clark Street. He reportedly told officers he was upset after learning the child had been taken to the park with an older male. He said he contacted the child’s mother—who holds legal custody—before going to retrieve the girl. Officers advised Jones that, regardless of intent, his actions had crossed legal boundaries and caused fear to those involved.
The grandmother indicated she wanted to press charges. Jones was arrested without incident and charged with menacing (a fourth-degree misdemeanor) and criminal mischief (a third-degree misdemeanor). He was booked into the Lorain County Jail and released the next day on a personal bond.
His case is being handled by Elyria Municipal Court Judge Gary C. Bennett. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for August 5, 2025, at 9:40 a.m. in Courtroom B.
No injuries were reported in the incident. The child was safely returned, and no protective order has been filed at this time.