Jones, former Hannibal all-stater, arrested in Connecticut and charged with strangulation, disorderly conduct

HAMDEN, Conn. — Former Hannibal multi-sport standout Dezi Jones was arrested by the Hamden Police Department on Tuesday night and charged with misdemeanor strangulation/suffocation and disorderly conduct, according to police reports.

The arrest was first reported by NBC Connecticut.

Jones, a 5-foot-10 guard who spent the previous two seasons on the Quinnipiac University men’s basketball team, was arrested in connection with what appears to be a domestic violence incident, according to the Register Citizen newspaper.

The incident involved Ava Librizzi, a female student at Quinnipiac who also was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

Jones received second-team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference honors after guiding Quinnipiac to a third-place finish in the regular-season standings. He led the Bobcats in scoring at 12.4 points per game to go along with 3.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.

He scored 10 or more points in 22 of Quinnipiac’s 31 regular-season games and five or more assists 11 times.

In MAAC play, Jones averaged 14 points, 4.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds. He scored 21 or more points in two of the final four regular-season games, including a career-high 28 points against Rider. The Bobcats finished 20-11 overall and 11-9 in the MAAC, surpassing the 20-victory plateau for the fourth time as an NCAA Division I program.

Jones entered the NCAA transfer portal after Quinnipiac lost its first game in the MAAC Tournament and announced via social media on March 24 he had committed to Austin Peay University.

Court records obtained by the Quinnipiac Chronicle show Jones and Librizzi appeared in Meriden Superior Court on Wednesday but did not enter pleas. Their cases were continued to June 1 and June 2, respectively.

According to Connecticut law, strangulation or suffocation in the third degree involves “recklessly” restraining another person by the neck or throat or restricting the person’s airway or blood circulation. 

In Connecticut, third-degree strangulation is a Class A misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000. Disorderly conduct is a Class C misdemeanor that carries up to three months in jail and a fine of up to $500.

A Quinnipiac spokesman released this statement, “The university takes all Title IX incident reports with utmost seriousness and has policies in place to ensure a thorough review of all allegations.”

The university declined to comment on whether Jones has been suspended from classes or is facing any immediate disciplinary action, according to the New Haven Register.

Jones graduated from Hannibal in 2019 having established new school records for single-game scoring (50 points), single-season scoring (721 points) and career scoring (2,153 points). He also averaged 7.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.7 steals per game as a senior when he averaged 30 points per game.

He played at Moberly Area Community College before transferring to Quinnipiac, where he scored 743 points in two seasons.

Jones also played football at Hannibal, helping the Pirates reach the Class 4 state quarterfinals his senior season when he was the Pirates’ second-leading wide receiver with 20 catches for 499 yards and five touchdowns.