John McCarthy
FREDERIKSTED — A St. Croix woman was charged with child abuse after allegedly forcing a boy’s hand onto a hot stove, causing visible burn injuries.
Shelva Smith, 52, was arrested and charged with child abuse, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
The charge stems from an incident that took place on September 28, 2025, at 4:28 p.m., when 911 dispatchers got a call about a juvenile victim with burns on his right hand, according to the VIPD.
A Detective from the Criminal Investigation Bureau was assigned to investigate the incident.
The investigation revealed that the suspect, Shelva Smith, held the victim’s hand over a hot stove, causing second degree burns on their right hand, police said.
Smith gave a statement at the Wilbur Francis Command Police Station in Mars Hill where she was taken into official custody, booked and processed.
Her bail was set at $60,000.00. Unable to post bail, she was transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility in Golden Grove.
Smith is scheduled for an advice-of-rights hearing at the Superior Court in Kingshill.
