FREDERIKSTED — An Ohio man who tracked down his lover to an abandoned building then beat, strangled and stomped her to the point of unconsciousness on Wednesday was arrested on assault charges.
Teddy Harold Vanhorn Jr., 47, of Circleville, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault-domestic violence, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigation Bureau traveled to the Juan F. Luis Hospital at 12:10 p.m. Thursday to meet with the domestic violence victim, according to the VIPD.
At the hospital, the victim told detectives that she had been in a relationship with Vanhorn for two months, police said.
She stated that on the evening of November 22 they were drinking with a friend and she got tired and decided to go into an abandoned building to sleep, according to police.
“She stated that she woke up to Mr. Vanhorn stomping on her face and neck, hitting her, and strangling her until she lost consciousness,” VIPD Communications Director Glen Dratte said. “She stated that when she regained consciousness Mr. Vanhorn asked her what happened and she told him that he tried to kill her.”
VIPD mugshot of Teddy H. Vanhorn Jr., 47, of Circleville, Ohio.
“She stated that he asked her if she needed to go to the hospital and she said ‘yes.’ at which time he told her that he would have to make a story up so that no one thinks he was the one that assaulted her. The victim sustained injuries to her nose, neck and fingers,” according to Dratte.
While at the hospital Vanhorn complained of pain to the whole right side of his body, police said.
While Vanhorn did not appear to have any visible injuries he was seen by the doctor and taken for an X-ray with negative findings and subsequently released, according to police.
Vanhorn was then transported to Wilbur Francis Command in Mars Hill. After being read his Miranda Rights, the suspect declined to make a statement.
No bail was offered to Vanhorn, due to the territory’s domestic violence statutes. He was arrested, booked and remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the Golden Grove prison pending his advice-of-rights hearing.
Vanhorn was arrested and jailed on contempt of court charges in Circleville, Ohio on May 24, 2020, according to Pickaway County Court records.