Nassau County

Woman arrested for arson, police find drugs in her body using x-ray, NCSO says

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — Mary Christina Jones, 42, was arrested on alleged arson and possession of methamphetamine charges on Friday, Feb. 14. Police say she set her hotel room on fire, and a contraband screen showed that she had an object inside her vaginal area.

Deputies responded to the Holiday Terrace Motel at 552428 US-1 on Feb. 13 after a fire was reported in one of the hotel rooms, police say. Nassau Fire Rescue extinguished the fire, and the room was found to be unoccupied.

The complainant told police that Jones was renting the room where the fire was believed to have originated. Jones was later located and arrested, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.

Upon arrival at the Nassau County Detention Facility, Jones was screened for contraband using an x-ray. Detention facility personnel discovered that Jones “appeared to have a foreign object(s) in her vaginal area," the report said.

Jones was denied entry to the detention facility and transported to Baptist Medical Center Nassau for further examination by medical staff. Medical examiners could not find anything, and Jones was cleared to return to the detention facility.

After deputies returned Jones to the detention facility, a “white crystal-like substance” was discovered on the prisoner-compartment seat of the car. Police say that Jones was the only occupant inside the prisoner-compartment that day.

The substance tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 1.01 grams, NCSO says.

Jones was then charged with possession of methamphetamine in addition to arson. Her bond was set at $255,004.


Lindsey Nolen

Lindsey Nolen

Lindsey Nolen is a Digital Content Producer for Action News Jax