Robbery defendant wants to change plea

EVERETT — A 13-time convicted felon claimed Thursday that he felt pressured to plead guilty to a trio of crimes that left two women injured, wrecked two cars and shut down I-5 south of Northgate in Seattle.

Tiron Wendell Jones, 42, faced up to seven years in prison for the Feb. 23 crime spree. He pleaded guilty a month ago to second-degree robbery, unlawful imprisonment and attempting to elude police.

Lawyers were ready to proceed to sentencing Thursday.

Jones was not.

“Something in my gut says fight this,” Jones told Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Ronald Castleberry.

He went on to explain that he has more than a dozen felony convictions and he’s signed a lot of paperwork because he was scared.

“I was under pressure. I’m innocent. I don’t hit women,” Jones said. “I need someone who will fight for me.”

Prosecutors alleged that Jones broke a woman’s nose, kidnapped her at knife-point, took her car and then crashed it during a high-speed chase along I-5 into Seattle.

The chase began after the woman got away near Mill Creek and Jones took off in her sport utility vehicle, according to court papers.

The pursuit reached speeds of 100 mph, and ended with a rollover crash along I-5, south of Northgate.

Castleberry agreed Thursday to let a different defense attorney study whether there are grounds for Jones to withdraw his guilty plea. Jones will have to prove there is a legal argument to withdraw his guilty plea, not simply that he’s changed his mind.

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.

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