SANTA ANA, Calif. _ A 56-year-old man slashed his throat Wednesday, apparently with a razor, moments after jurors found him guilty of sexually assaulting a teenager in Huntington Beach.
The incident happened in a courtroom on the eighth floor of the Orange County Superior Court building, authorities said.
Jeffrey Scott Jones, who was out of custody on bail during the trial, cut his throat just after the verdict had been read, sheriff's Lt. Mark Stichter said. Several people were in the courtroom at the time.
Deputies rendered first aid and Jones, who was uncooperative, had to be handcuffed, Stichter said.
Jones was transported by paramedics to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, said Capt. Larry Kurtz of the Orange County Fire Authority. He remained under guard Wednesday afternoon by deputies.
The Sheriff's Department is investigating how Jones managed to bring a razor through a security checkpoint at the court building, Stichter said.
Jones, a Huntington Beach resident and former Advanced Placement English teacher at the Libra Academy in Huntington Park, faced felony charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child and continuous sexual abuse that prosecutors say occurred between Sept. 1, 2012, and April 30, 2013.
The Orange County Register is not specifying the student's relationship with Jones to avoid identifying a sexual assault victim.
Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown had told jurors that a sexual assault test performed on the girl turned up Jones' DNA.
Since the allegations were reported, the girl has bounced between youth homes, juvenile hall and living on the street, and at one point was arrested for stealing a bike while attempting to run away, the prosecutor added.
