FREDERIKSTED — After more than half a day, Virgin Islands Police have released a photo of the stabbing suspect who brought a knife to a reconciliation party in Mount Pleasant this week.
Two women were marled in the effects of violence after their steamy lover affair left vehicles damaged and fragile personalities bruised, court documents indicate.
Iyodelie Naelia Romain had been in a relationship with Michelle A. Andre, but the pair had split up after Romain decided to take a breather from her “complicated” relationship with her former partner, Superior Court documents say.
After calling the relationship off “a few weeks ago,” Romain fielded a call from Andre about 1:00 p.m. Tuesday at which time the suspect began to speak very “disrespectfully” to her, calling her “a retarded bitch motherscunt,” the probable cause fact sheet states.
“Ms. Romain stated that she told Ms. Andre, if you’re going to be calling my phone, you better talk to me with respect,” before hanging up the phone on her, the sworn police affidavit states.
Shortly thereafter, Romain said Andre called her again but was still using profanity towards her, so she hung up the telephone on her a second time.
“Ms. Romain stated that she was in the kitchen washing dishes when she observed Ms. Andre walking towards her apartment,” the probable cause fact sheet states. “Ms. Romain stated that Ms. Andre came to her kitchen window and began cursing profanity.”
Romain told police she simply ignored her former partner’s profane taunts outside.
“Since she was not getting the satisfaction she was looking for from Ms. Romain, Ms. Andre decided to remove the kitchen window, stretched her body partially through the window and punched her in the face,” the sworn police affidavit states.
Romain told police she was able to push Andre back out the window and then close it.
“Ms. Andre stated that Ms. Andre stayed in front of her apartment, cursing profanity and making a scene,” the probable cause fact sheet states. “Ms. Romain stated that Ms. Andre felt disrespected and began taking out her frustration on her vehicle, a green Honda Civic. Ms. Romain stated that Ms. Andre broke the rear glass of her car with a rock and damaged the vehicle’s windshield with a baton.”
Romain told police that Andre then ran to the rear of her apartment, “kicked the back door down and entered her apartment,” the sworn VIPD affidavit states.
“Ms. Romain stated that Ms. Andre immediately approached her and punched her in the head,” the probable cause fact sheet states. “Ms. Romain stated that Witness 1 was inside her apartment and got in between Ms. Andre and her to prevent any further altercation.”
After the altercation, Romain said the memory of what happened was weighing on her mind, so she decided to walk to Andre’s mother’s house in Mount Pleasant to discuss the situation.
“Ms. Romain stated that when she got to the residence, she realized that Ms. Andre’s mother was not home,” the sworn police affidavit states.
At this point, Romain noticed that Andre was walking towards her.
“Ms. Romain stated that Ms. Andre approached her with a baton in her hand, waving it around and threatening to strike her with it,” the sworn police affidavit states.
Romain told police that she took the knife in her hand and punctured the tire of “an unknown vehicle parked in front of Ms. Andre’s residence,” Superior Court documents indicate.
“Ms. Romain stated that Ms. Andre heard the air leaking out of the tire and immediately rushed her with the baton and struck her in the head and back,” the probable cause fact sheet states.
The two women began to fight, according to police.
“Ms. Romain stated that she stabbed Ms. Andre about two times in her back area during the altercation,” the sworn VIPD affidavit states. “Ms. Romain stated that she did not mean to stab Ms. Andre, but she was defending herself and everything happened so quickly.”
Police said they met with Andre at the Juan F. Luis Hospital and noticed “two lacerations to her back area with a red substance that appeared to be blood.” She told police Romain stabbed her and slashed the tire of a vehicle.
Police recommended that Romain be charged with third-degree assault-domestic violence, simple assault and battery-domestic violence, carrying or using dangerous weapons and damaging or tampering with a vehicle.
Police recommended that Andre be charged with first-degree burglary-domestic violence, third-degree assault-domestic violence, simple assault and battery-domestic violence, carrying or using dangerous weapons, disturbance of the peace-domestic violence, damaging or tampering with a vehicle and destruction to other’s property.
Andre and Romain were each scheduled for advice-of-rights hearings in Superior Court on Friday morning.
