CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A man was arrested after he struck the victim with a glass bottle as the vehicle was being operated on Crown Mountain roadway in St. Thomas.
Joseph Avila, 54, was arrested and charged with third-degree assault and disturbance of the peace, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Avila was detained at 11:25 a.m. Tuesday near Pueblo in Subbase in connection to the assault, according to the VIPD.
VIPD mug shot of Joseph Avila, 54, of St. Thomas.
“Avila was questioned and admitted to being in a vehicle on Crown Mountain roadway on March 1, 2024, along with the victim when a physical altercation ensued between them both,” VIPD spokeswoman Kishma Chichester said. “Avila did admit to striking the victim to the head.”
On the same date at about 12:04 p.m., Avila, age 54, was placed under arrest for assault after being positively identified by the victim as the individual who struck him with a glass bottle to the head, causing serious physical injury, according to Chichester.
Bail for Avila was set at $25,000.00. Unable to post bail, he was booked, processed and turned over to the Bureau of Corrections pending an advice-of-rights hearing.
One Virgin Islands Free Press reader had this solution for the over-burdened court system in the territory.
“It appears that this person is intoxicated and has been arrested, but that is not the solution to help them in their situation,” Barbara Trant-Pinnock said. “We need to stop incarcerating and fining individuals without providing the necessary assistance. It’s time to offer proper treatment for alcoholism rather than just addressing the symptoms.”
This case is currently under active investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Anyone with information regarding this crime is urged to contact 911, the Criminal Investigation Bureau or Detective D. Greenaway-Thomas at 340-774-2211 extension 5574 or Crime Stoppers USVI at 1-800-222-8477.