SUNNY ISLE — A woman cleaning the floor at her grandmother’s house in Queen’s Quarter was cut with a box cutter during a domestic dispute this week, authorities said.
Valencia M. Hazelwood, 55, of Mary’s Fancy, was arrested at 10 p.m. Tuesday and charged with first-degree assault-domestic violence, third-degree assault-domestic violence, simple assault-domestic violence, carrying or using a dangerous weapon-domestic violence, disturbance of the peace by fighting and brandishing exhibiting or using a deadly weapon during the commission of a crime of violence-domestic violence, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
According to the probable cause fact sheet, the victim was cleaning her grandmother’s home in Mary’s Fancy about 6 p.m. Tuesday, when a black pickup truck pulled up in front of the house and her aunt (Hazelwood) got out of the vehicle and approached the house.
As Hazelwood marched towards the front door, she began shouting: “You all need to tell the police to come here,” according to Superior Court documents.
When Hazelwood reached the front door, the victim attempted to deny her aunt entry into the home, by holding out her hand, to keep her “from getting it dirty,” the sworn police affidavit states.
“The victim stated Ms. V. Hazelwood then pushed her against the wall, reached into her back pocket, pulled out an orange box cutter, and started stabbing her to the side of her right ribcage area,” the probable cause fact sheet states. “That Ms. V. Hazelwood was yelling: ‘She’s tired of her (the victim) and she will kill her today.'”
The victim said her minor daughter (Witness 1) was in the house with her and started “screaming and crying” when she saw her mother being attacked. Another person (Witness 2) at the house heard the commotion and rushed over to help the victim by trying to disarm Hazelwood, Superior Court records indicate.
“The victim stated they all fell to the ground, and Ms. V. Hazelwood immediately grabbed a big rock from the ground and hit her (the victim) in the head,” the probable cause fact sheet states. “The victim stated Witness 2 then grabbed the rock away from Ms. V. Hazelwood and pinned her on the ground.”
When police arrived a short time later, the victim and Witness 2 were still holding Hazelwood on the ground. Officers observed a 2- to 4-inch gash on the victim’s forehead and “small cuts around her left forearm and left and right legs,” the sworn police affidavit said.
On Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Ernest Morris Jr. said Hazelwood faces up to five years in prison and a $3,000 fine if convicted of the most serious charge against her. Judge Morris set bail at $15,000.
Valencia was released on a $1,500 cash bond into the custody of her niece. The suspect was ordered to surrender her passport, not leave island without the court’s permission, to be under house arrest, not to come within 1,000 feet of the victim and not to have any contact with the victim or witnesses in the case.
All individuals listed as arrested or charged with a crime in this report are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.