Man charged in connection with child death investigation

VINTON COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) -- A man is facing charges after sheriff’s deputies responded to Sheets McCoy Road in Vinton County for calls a child was dead.

It happened on Saturday, January 14, 2023 around 1:30 p.m.

Once deputies got there, they say they discovered potential evidence may have been tampered with at the scene.

The Vinton County Sheriff’s Office says they took Carl Jonas III into custody around 2:00 p.m. that day in connection with the child death investigation.

Jonas was taken to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail and charged with tampering with evidence, which is a felony in the third degree. The sheriff’s office says there is a possibility more charges will be filed against Jonas.

Jonas has been arraigned on the charge and is waiting for the case to be moved to the common pleas court.

Court records show Jonas is currently out of jail on a $20,000 cash bond.

If he’s convicted on the tampering with evidence charge, Jonas faces up to $10,000 in fines and up to 36 months in prison, according to court records.

The incident remains under investigation.

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