New family center honors 4-year-old killed in Baltimore County domestic shooting
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and on Monday, a victim of a heart-wrenching domestic violence case in Baltimore County will be honored with the opening of a new resource center.
On Christmas Eve, police said Mark Jones shot his wife and 1-year-old daughter, and shot and killed his 4-year-old son, Jacobi Jones.
On Monday night, a new domestic violence center will open in Dundalk: TurnAround's "The Jacobi Center."
Mother recalls Jacobi's death
Promyss Marcelle said she was shot in the head by the father of her children, Mark Jones, on December 24, 2024.
According to court documents, Jones pulled out a gun earlier that morning after Jacobi Jones begged, "Daddy, please leave."
Jones shot and killed Jacobi Jones and wounded his 1-year-old daughter, Peyton, according to charging documents.
Ten months later, Promyss and Peyton's wounds have healed, and Peyton is preparing to celebrate her second birthday.
"She has memory of Jacobi, but she don't show no signs of having memory of the incident," Promyss Marcelle said.
The new outreach center is named after her son, who loved dinosaurs, as we learned at his funeral. Dinosaurs are everywhere at the center to help other children caught in crisis.
"Oftentimes, individuals are coming to us right after an abusive incident, so abuse has occurred," said TurnAround CEO Amanda Rodriguez. "They're finally in a place where they need to get out of this abusive relationship and they are taking those next steps forward."
Rodriguez met Marcelle days after Jacobi's death, and TurnAround swooped in to support her.
"TurnAround, they were very, like, we are not leaving you alone," Marcelle said. "They just helped me mentally...100%, even when I got mad and I wanted to be left alone, they didn't leave me alone."
Marcelle still has to face Jones in court, but said a representative from TurnAround is always with her. She keeps fighting in memory of her son, she said.
TurnAround Centers
TurnAround is opening two other community centers in October; one in Columbia and another in downtown Baltimore on Howard Street.
Each center offers emergency intervention, therapy and legal counseling. Families can also get free supplies, prepare meals, wash their clothes and shower at the facilities.
Unlike other shelters, TurnAround will find housing, but does not provide it. That means they can safely advertise their locations, so victims and their children can find one when they are in need.
"A lot of people think kids don't understand what's going on, but they know what's going on," Rodriguez said. "That's why I'm still fighting just to strongly say it's okay to get out."
TurnAround can be reached through their crisis line at 443-279-0379 or their emergency text line at 410-498-5956. Find more information on their website here.
