MERCER COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Mercer County man is facing multiple felony charges after deputies say a woman was beaten with the blunt end of a hatchet during a violent domestic incident in the Rock area of Mercer County.
According to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded on May 12 to the Bluewell Volunteer Fire Department after emergency responders reported a possible domestic violence situation involving a woman suffering serious injuries.
Dispatchers initially received a call around 6:24 p.m. reporting a woman had fallen and struck her head on a porch at a residence on Crane Creek Road. However, while en route, Bluefield Rescue personnel advised Mercer E911 the incident was actually a physical domestic assault.
According to deputies, EMS personnel reported the woman had allegedly been struck in the face, ribs, and legs with the blunt end of an axe.
When deputies met with the victim at the fire department around 7:27 p.m., investigators observed multiple injuries, including hematomas on her forehead, blood on her face, and injuries to her arms, legs, knees, and neck area.
According to the report, the woman stated Jonathan Ball assaulted her with both a hatchet and his fists after the two had allegedly been arguing throughout the day.
She was transported to Bluefield Regional Medical Center for treatment.
Deputies later responded to the residence on Crane Creek Road around 7:57 p.m., where they encountered Ball standing in the front yard.
According to investigators, Ball complied with commands and was detained without incident. Deputies reported Ball appeared unsteady and allegedly under the influence of narcotics. Authorities said Ball later admitted to using crack cocaine.
Investigators said Ball began making statements claiming he had been robbed by a woman and an unknown masked man. He also allegedly claimed his phone, accounts, and bonds had been hacked.
According to the report, Ball asked deputies to enter the residence to observe damage from the alleged robbery. Once inside, deputies reportedly found the home in disarray.
Investigators said Ball escorted deputies to a back bedroom where an open safe sat with loose change scattered across the floor. Ball allegedly claimed a large amount of money had been stolen.
Deputies also discovered blood on the front porch of the residence. Photographs and blood samples were collected and will be submitted to the West Virginia State Police Crime Laboratory for analysis.
Two hatchets were also recovered from the porch and collected as evidence. Investigators said one hatchet had a wooden handle while the other had a darker-colored handle.
Ball was later transported to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, where he was read his Miranda rights. According to deputies, Ball declined to provide a statement and requested an attorney.
Investigators also documented blood on Ball’s hands and arms. Samples and the clothing he was wearing were collected for forensic testing.
According to deputies, nearby residents reported hearing arguing throughout the afternoon before hearing a woman screaming for help around 6:15 p.m. Witnesses allegedly observed the victim bleeding from the head and suffering visible injuries.
Later that evening, investigators obtained a recorded statement from the victim at the hospital.
According to the report, the woman stated Ball returned home from a friend’s house acting paranoid, erratic, and unlike himself. She told investigators she believed Ball was under the influence of drugs.
The victim alleged the assault lasted from approximately noon until 7 p.m.
She told investigators Ball initially struck her with his fists before escalating to using a piece of wood and eventually the blunt side of a hatchet.
According to the statement, the victim said Ball drove the hatchet into a couch near her in an attempt to scare her before continuing the assault.
The woman also alleged Ball repeatedly prevented her from leaving the residence and at one point asked her, “Do you know what the Colombians do to people?”
Investigators said the woman reported being struck in the knees with the hatchet while trying to escape through the front door.
The victim further stated Ball accused her of changing passwords on his cellphone while still possessing the phone himself. She also alleged Ball frequently questioned who she communicated with and controlled whether she had access to a cellphone.
According to investigators, the woman stated Ball destroyed items throughout the residence while acting erratically.
She eventually managed to force her way out of the home and ran to a neighbor’s house, where she used a cellphone to call for help.
Deputies said visible injuries to the woman’s knees were documented on video at the hospital.
DNA samples were later collected from the victim and will be compared to evidence recovered from the scene.
Authorities also contacted the Union Mission and S.A.F.E. to assist the victim following the incident.
Jonathan Ball has been charged with:
- Malicious Wounding
- Domestic Battery
- Domestic Assault
The investigation remains ongoing.
