A 40-year-old Palm Coast woman faces felony charges after deputies responding to a domestic disturbance accused her of battering an elderly person and kicking a deputy in the chest. Julia Jones was taken to a hospital after losing consciousness during transport to jail, was medically cleared and later booked, according to accounts of the arrest. The case follows a separate 2024 arrest in which Jones was also taken to a hospital before booking.
Flagler County Sheriff's deputies responded Saturday to a reported domestic disturbance in Palm Coast's B-Section, a residential area formally known as the Indian Trails subdivision, where local streets systematically begin with the letter B, according to AskFlagler. Investigators identified Jones as the primary aggressor, as reported by Tampa Free Press. She was charged with domestic battery on a person 65 years of age or older, a third-degree felony under Florida law.
Deputies said Jones resisted efforts to take her into custody and had to be carried toward a patrol vehicle, according to the Tampa Free Press account. During that process, she allegedly kicked a deputy in the chest. She was then charged with battery on a law-enforcement officer, also a felony.
Two Felonies, Ten Years of Exposure
Under Florida Statute § 784.07(2)(b), simple battery against an officer performing lawful duties is automatically reclassified from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, carrying a maximum of five years in prison, according to the Law Office of W.F. Casey Ebsary Jr. Separately, Florida Statute § 784.08(2)(c) elevates battery against a victim 65 or older to a third-degree felony regardless of whether the offender knew the victim's age, per the Law Office of Steve Bartlett. If Jones were convicted on both charges and received the maximum sentences consecutively, the combined exposure would be as much as 10 years, though the charges themselves do not establish guilt.
What the broader record shows
The available statewide data do not establish a five-year trend for Flagler County in this article. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement reported 439 domestic-violence-related arrests in the county in 2020, including 388 by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office; those countywide figures do not establish what happened in Jones's case, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A separate Feb. 27, 2026 incident described by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office involved an Ormond Beach domestic disturbance in which a man allegedly cut a deputy with a knife; he faced aggravated battery and aggravated assault charges involving law enforcement. That case is distinct from Jones's allegations, which involve an alleged kick during an arrest. Under Florida's criminal procedure rules, a judge considers relevant factors at first appearance when deciding what form of pretrial release is needed to assure a defendant's appearance. Posting bond therefore does not resolve the underlying charges.
Sheriff Rick Staly said Jones kicked a deputy in the chest and faced an additional felony as a result. The statement, reported by the Tampa Free Press, emphasized that resisting deputies can lead to arrest and additional charges.
A Medical Diversion Before Booking
During the drive to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, Jones lost consciousness, prompting deputies to divert to AdventHealth Palm Coast. Medical staff examined and cleared her before she was booked into the jail, located at 1002 Justice Lane in Bunnell. The facility holds up to 400 inmates across 15 housing units, per the sheriff's office cited by the Tampa Free Press. Jones was released after posting a $5,000 bond.
The facility earned national accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care in July 2024, according to Flagler News Weekly. Staly has previously used the nickname “Green Roof Inn” when publicly referencing the jail, a colorful habit reported by FOX 35 Orlando.
A Familiar Pattern for Jones
This is not Jones's first run-in with Flagler County deputies. In an April 19, 2024 incident, deputies detained her near Farraday Lane and Fawn Lane in Palm Coast, according to FOX 35 Orlando's reporting. She was charged that day with illegal prescription possession, disorderly intoxication, and battery on an officer, after allegedly spitting on and berating deputies who had responded to a disturbance involving an intoxicated person.
During that 2024 arrest, Jones was also diverted to AdventHealth Palm Coast after repeatedly banging her head inside the patrol vehicle en route to jail, and was cleared by hospital staff before being processed. She was ultimately convicted of disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer without violence that year, while prosecutors did not pursue the battery charge. Jones received probation and was later granted early termination of that probation.
The Flagler County jail has been the subject of reporting about addiction recovery, according to FlaglerLive.
