Parents of missing Mesa teen arrested, allegedly interfered in custody battle

PHOENIX — The parents of a teenage girl from Mesa, who went missing with her infant son in June, were arrested on Wednesday, the Mesa Police Department announced.

Roland and Cassandra Jones were first taken into custody at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport by Phoenix police, then turned over to Mesa police and arrested shortly after.

Det. Steve Barry, a spokesman for the Mesa Police Department, said Roland and Cassandra were first taken into custody by officers around 10:30 a.m. as they were preparing to board a plane at the airport.

The detention come one day after police submitted charges against them for conspiring to commit interference in the disappearance of their 19-year-old daughter Madeline Jones and 1-year-old grandson William Jones-Gouchenour.

Madeline and William were reported missing in June by Roland.

Roland and Cassandra told police that their daughter was going to retain an appellate attorney after she was granted joint custody of her son with her ex-husband, Jacob Gouchenour, when she went missing.

Before she went missing, police documents detailed Madeline’s efforts to dye her hair and she withdrew large amounts of cash.

Police said Cassandra “provided misinformation to purposefully mislead police when reporting Madeline and William missing, making bank withdrawals and providing cash to Madeline to assist in a ‘vacation,’ was present while Madeline changed her and William’s appearance,” court documents said.

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