CHRISTIANSTED — A St. Croix woman wasn’t in the Easter spirit when she allegedly took an aluminum baseball bat to the man she accused of stealing her pet rabbit — with the intention of beating him with it — all in the presence of police officers.
Keoshia Richards, 42, of Estate Anna’s Hope, was arrested Sunday and charged with simple assault & battery, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
The Palm Sunday case began at 2:51 a.m., when officers, were sent by VITEMA 911 dispatchers to Anna’s Hope Villas in reference to a report of theft, according to the VIPD.
VIPD mug shot of Keoshia Richards, 42, of Anna’s Hope, St. Croix.
Responding officers met with Keoshia Richards, who advised the officers that she believed her friend came to her residence and stole her lounge chair and pet rabbit, police said.
The officers followed up with an investigation into the alleged complaint at Richards’ friend’s
address, according to police.
Richards showed up shortly thereafter at her friend’s residence, exited her vehicle with a gray aluminum baseball bat in her hand, and started to advance towards her friend, who had just stepped outside of his residence, police said.
The officers told Richards to drop the bat, however, she failed to adhere to the officer’s command and proceeded to kick her friend’s gate down, according to police.
Subsequently, the officers removed the bat from Richards’ hands, but she continued to advance towards her friend by picking up a five-gallon bucket containing sand and assaulted him on his left leg, causing pain, police said.
After separating the two combatants, Richards was immediately placed under arrest for the charge stated above.
Bail for Richards was set at $1,000.00.
Unable to post bail, she was transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility in Estate Golden Grove.
Richards is scheduled for an advice-of-rights hearing in Superior Court.
