CHRISTIANSTED — A St. Croix man who was captured on video surveillance in the act of stabbing a “male” at a Cane Bay bar on Wednesday afternoon has been released from custody after paying just $5,005 bail, authorities said.
Calvin N. Belle Jr., 23, of Richmond, surrendered himself to police in the company of his attorney this afternoon, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Belle was arrested and charged with first-degree assault in connection to the non-fatal stabbing, according to the VIPD.
VIPD mug shot of Calvin N. Belle, Jr., 23, of John F. Kennedy Terrace in Estate Richmond on St. Croix.
The case began at about 5:16 p.m. Wednesday when 911 dispatchers got reports of a stabbing victim at the Sprat Net bar in Cane Bay, police said.
“Upon the arrival of the responding officers, they contacted the victim who was on the ground bleeding,” VIPD Communications Director Glen Dratte said.
Members of the Criminal Investigation Bureau were notified, and their investigation found that the victim was stabbed by Calvin N. Belle Jr., in the neck, according to Dratte.
An ambulance was present and transported the unnamed victim to the Juan F. Luis Hospital where he was admitted due to his serious bodily injuries, the chief VIPD spokesman said.
“Further investigation disclosed surveillance footage that clearly shows Calvin N. Belle Jr. when he assaulted the victim with the knife,” Dratte added.
Belle managed to evade capture by police after the incident. A wanted poster was prepared and distributed via social media and the Virgin Islands news feeds in an attempt to locate the suspect.
At about 2:20 p.m. today, Belle appeared at the Wilbur H. Francis Command Police Station to turn himself in the company of his defense attorney Ezwart Wynter, according to police.
Belle was officially placed under arrest at 2:26 p.m., police said. The suspect was then booked and processed.
After that, Attorney Wynter contacted Superior Court Judge Yolan Brow Ross, who set bail at $5,005.00. The suspect posted bail and was released to a third-party custodian.
Belle is scheduled for an advice-of-rights hearing in Superior Court tomorrow.
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