CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. Thomas woman was arrested after a child custody dispute turned violent.
Bithia JeanSimon was charged with destruction of property and simple assault under the territory’s domestic violence statute. She was held in jail overnight without bail.
JeanSimon appeared via teleconference Wednesday for her advice-of-rights hearing before Virgin Islands Superior Court Magistrate Judge Henry Carr at the Farrelly Justice Complex in Charlotte Amalie.
Carr found probable cause for her arrest, based on a probable cause fact sheet filed by Virgin Islands Police.
Officers responded to a domestic dispute over custody of a child at about 10:30 a.m., and the victim in the case told police that JeanSimon had showed up to his home unannounced and demanded he hand over the baby, according to the fact sheet.
The victim told police JeanSimon attempted to climb through a window, and smashed it with a flower pot after he closed it, according to the fact sheet.
She also threw a picture frame at the victim and smashed his truck windshield with another ceramic flower pot, and police interviewed other witnesses to the dispute, according to the fact sheet.
Police said there was no custody order in place, and Carr said Wednesday that the case clearly involves a custody dispute, but the Family Court division is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Virgin Islands Assistant Attorney General Brenda Scales said JeanSimon has one prior conviction for brandishing a deadly weapon in 2018, and served 30 days in jail.
Carr said JeanSimon may be released from custody pending trial if she posts a $1,000 unsecured bond, ordered her not to leave St. Thomas, and only have contact with her child through a third party to avoid any further disputes.