CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Fearing for her safety, a St. Thomas woman took the extraordinary step of jumping out of a moving vehicle in order to escape “weeks” of domestic violence abuse.
Tizoni Mahoney, 54, was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, second-degree assault-domestic violence, third-degree assault-domestic violence, simple assault-domestic violence and disturbance of the peace, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
The case began on Thursday, July 3, 2025, when peace officers at the Cyril E. King Airport were notified of a female victim seeking police assistance, according to the VIPD.
VIPD mug shot of Tizoni Mahoney, 54, of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
When officers arrived at the terminal, they met with an adult Hispanic female who reported that she was assaulted by her husband and had jumped out of their rental vehicle while at the airport, police said.
The victim stated that Tizoni Mahoney began accusing her of having an affair on June 22, 2025, according to police.
She added that he strangled her numerous times and had driven her around the island threatening to force her to self-deport back to the Dominican Republic, police said.
The victim added that Mahoney took her to a secluded area in the Fortuna area, pointed a firearm at her head and threatened to kill her, according to police.
The victim finished her statement by saying that Mahoney continuously drove to the airport to antagonize her and fearing for her safety, she decided to jump out of the moving vehicle and seek assistance from the police.
On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, Mahoney was present at the Domestic Violence Unit
where he was advised of his Miranda Rights, police said.
Mahoney declined to provide a statement at that time. He was booked and processed.
The suspect was transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the St. Thomas jail.
Mahoney was scheduled for an advice-of-rights hearing in Superior Court on Wednesday.
While court records indicate that Mahoney did appear before Magistrate Simone Van Holten-Turnbull in his initial court appearance, there is no public record of the outcome of that proceeding.
This case is currently under investigation by the Domestic Violence Unit.
Anyone who has relevant information about this crime can notify 911, the Domestic Violence Unit at 340-715-5534 or the Office of the Police Chief.