CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. Thomas man who fled the territory when he knew he was a wanted man on assault charges … has been caught in California, authorities said.
Emergency 911 dispatchers fielded a call reporting an assault had occurred in the area of Lindberg Bay about 9:55 a.m. on January 15, 2018.
When Virgin Islands Police Department officers arrived on the scene they interviewed a man who said that he was assaulted by Kareem Joseph during an argument and sustained severe head injuries.
During the investigation process an arrest warrant was secured for the arrest of 38-year-old Kareem Joseph.
The VIPD said that Joseph left St. Thomas after he found out that there was a warrant for his arrest.
On September 10, 2019, the NCIC was notified by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, that Joseph was in custody.
Joseph was held at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, California until he was picked up by two Detectives from the Warrant Unit of the Virgin Islands Police Department and was brought back to St. Thomas.
Joseph was arrested and charged for using a dangerous weapon during a commission of a crime, first-degree assault, third-degree assault, mayhem, three counts of retaliating against /threatening a witness and unauthorized presence at a school, according to the VIPD.
Unable to post $100,000 bail, Joseph was remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections pending an advice-of-rights hearing.
St. Thomas Deputy Chief Steve Phillips said that the NCIC is the National Crime Information Center and that it is “the lifeline of Law Enforcement Agencies.”
“It provides central crime data virtually Nationwide, Puerto Rico, Guam, Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Phillips said. “Because of this operational system we are able apprehend suspects who has fled the territory, and return them back to the territory to face charges.”