White Oak woman charged with falsely claiming mother-in-law held daughters hostage

Nov. 29--A White Oak woman who told Westmoreland County 911 her mother-in-law was holding her two daughters hostage has been charged by Penn Borough police with making a false report to law enforcement.

The charges filed Tuesday stem from an August incident when Jenny Wingsee Jones, 46, told 911 that her children were in danger, according to arrest papers filed by Penn Borough police.

She said her mother-in-law had a dog and numerous weapons, and would not release her daughters, ages 4 and 9.

Penn Borough police went to the mother-in-law's Arona home, where they found the two girls sitting on the porch, apparently unharmed and in good spirits.

There was a small dog on a leash in the yard, according to police.

The children told police that their grandmother had never threatened to harm them.

Their mother, Jones, had left them at their grandmother's house and had not come to pick them up for five days, according to police.

Police made numerous attempts to call Jones back but she never picked up the phone, according to the arrest papers.

Jones is charged with making a false alarm to an agency of public safety, false report to falsely incriminate another person, false communications with 911, and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.

A preliminary hearing has not been scheduled.

Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6646, jtierney@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Soolseem.

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