Secret Service arrests Lafayette woman on charges she threatened to kill the president
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Secret Service arrested Lafayette resident Nathalie Rose Jones on Saturday on charges she threatened to kill President Donald Trump on her social media platforms.
U.S. District Court documents charge Jones, 50, who most recently was living in New York City, threatened to kill, kidnap and inflict bodily harm on Trump, according to a news release from federal officials published Monday.
Secret Service agents interviewed Jones in New York on Friday, during which Jones allegedly called the president a terrorist and a Nazi and said if she had the opportunity, she would take the president's life and would kill him at "the compound," according to the U.S. attorney's office news release.
On Saturday, Jones traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in an protest that passed near the White House.
Jones' Facebook posts from Saturday include photos of some of the protests.
After the protest, U.S. Secret Service agents interviewed Jones a second time. She admitted to threatening the president the day before but told agents she did not have any present desires to harm him, according to the news release. Agents then arrested her, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
"Threatening the life of the president is one of the most serious crimes and one that will be met with swift and unwavering prosecution," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in the news release. "Make no mistake — justice will be served."
Jones made threats on Instagram and Facebook between Aug. 2 through Aug. 15, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
According to her website marking her writing, Jones was born and raised in Rensselaer.
She graduated from Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities on the Ball State University campus in Muncie. She then attended Indiana University but quit and joined the Army Reserves.
After leaving the Reserves, she attended Purdue University, where she graduated in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in pharmacy, according to her website. A Purdue spokesperson has not confirmed that information.
Her writings can be found at her website, nathjones.com. However, she charges a fee of $1,776 to access her work.
On a video Jones posted on her Facebook page, apparently on May 24, 2021 — World Schizophrenia Day — she discussed having mental health problems.
"I am someone who identifies as schizophrenic," Jones said as she talks about celebrating the day. "What that means for me is: I think I'm famous, and let's get there."
She admits to experiencing an altered sense of self and having disorganized thoughts.
"Whatever this disease is I have, it's fine," she said on the 4-year-old video. "I'm not going to hurt anybody."
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