CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A man with a history of violence was arrested after police say he attacked a man from behind with a wrench.
Maxwell Peters, 56, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree assault. Unable to post $25,000 bail, he was jailed until his advice-of-rights hearing in Superior Court on Monday.
The incident occurred at 3:49 p.m. in Emancipation Garden in Charlotte Amalie. The victim told police he “suddenly felt a blow to the back of his head,” and he and witnesses said they saw Peters holding a metal wrench, which he’d used to assault the victim, according to an affidavit filed by police.
The victim used a knife to try and stab Peters, and complied with an auxiliary police officer who ordered him to drop the weapon and called 911, according to the affidavit.
In court Monday, Assistant Virgin Islands Attorney General Brenda Scales said Peters was previously arrested on homicide charges in Florida, which resulted in a conviction on a lesser assault charge in 1990, and a 10-year prison sentence.
Territorial Public Defender Alexia Furlow said Peters is homeless and lives in the Hospital Ground area. He was born on St. Thomas, has family on island, and works in construction, she said.
Magistrate Judge Paula Norkaitis said the case is concerning because Peters allegedly used a tool to assault the victim and “struck him while his back was turned.”
She kept bail at $25,000 but said he may post 10% in cash in order to be released from jail, under the supervision of a third-party custodian.
“However, he cannot be released until there’s some form of identification that can be provided as to who he is so that further contact can be made with him,” Norkaitis said.