Teen Mom's Bariki "Bar" Lockett Smith is facing some serious charges in connection with the alleged kidnapping of his estranged wife, Ashley Jones. On July 7, 2024, Smith was arrested and charged with multiple felony offenses, as reported by The U.S. Sun after an altercation with Jones. It is believed that the estranged husband saw photos that Jones posted of her and her new boyfriend on Instagram, which then reportedly led him to drive across state lines to confront her.
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Smith was charged with several category B felonies. Those include second-degree kidnapping, coercion constituting domestic violence, and residential burglary constituting domestic violence. He was also charged with harassment and contempt of municipal court, two misdemeanors.
As defined by the Nevada state statute, which is where Jones lives, a category B felony carries a minimum prison sentence of one year and a maximum sentence of 20 years. A few days before the incident, which occurred on July 4, 2024, a warrant was put out for Smith's arrest for "Failure to Pay." According to The U.S. Sun, that probably means the father failed to pay child support.
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Smith and Jones are parents to 6-year-old daughter Holly Isabella Lockett, who they welcomed in 2017. The couple separated in March 2024 after having been married since April 2021. Jones filed for divorce on August 1, 2024, according to US Weekly.
On the morning of the incident, Jones was already on the phone with her mother, apparently suspicious that her estranged husband was in her apartment. The Teen Mom star's mother told police she heard a man's voice in the background say, "Hello baby momma" as her daughter entered the apartment. When the call disconnected and she couldn't reach her daughter after several attempts, the mom called 911.
Per The U.S. Sun, Smith was sitting on her couch when she walked in and immediately took her phone and other electronics, including tablets and a smartwatch. Allegedly, he then told her he'd only give the items back if she drove him to her new boyfriend's house, but she refused and they started arguing. He reportedly barricaded the doors and told his estranged wife, "If you're not leaving with me, you're not leaving, period."
Jones eventually got to safety.
Eventually, Jones led Smith to believe that she would tell the police, who were outside her door, that he was "peaceful" and that she'd ask them to "just leave." Upon exiting her home and ensuring she was safe, police went in and arrested Smith.
Officer B. Dobel recalled the moment Jones came out, stating that she appeared very scared of her former spouse. "She was crying, shaking, and very emotional," the officer said, per The U.S. Sun.
