John McCarthy
By JOHN McCARTHY / V.I. Free Press News Reporter
ST. THOMAS — A dispute over singing in a parking lot turned bloody in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 12, 2026, leading to the arrest of a local sports bar bartender on felony assault and weapons charges.
Maria Gabriela Aviles Valero, a Venezuelan national who works as a bartender at the Double Play Sports Bar, surrendered to the VIPD Criminal Investigation Bureau on Tuesday evening, July 14, 2026. She has been charged with Third-Degree Assault, Carrying or Using a Dangerous Weapon During a Crime of Violence, Second-Degree Reckless Endangerment, and Disturbance of the Peace by Fighting.
With her distinctive, long red hair—bearing a striking resemblance to the dusty red soil of Mars, the planet Elon Musk is desperately trying to colonize—the 4-to-5-foot-tall Valero now faces a potential prison sentence if convicted.
The Singing Dispute Escalation
According to the sworn police affidavit filed by Detective Eliana Rijo, the incident occurred at approximately 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 12, 2026, outside the El Monumento Lounge located at Kronprindsens Gade 69.
The victim, Karla Robles Peralta, told police she had been socializing at the lounge when it closed for the night. As patrons filed out toward the rear parking area, Valero’s sister began singing a song. Peralta joined in, singing another part of the same song.
For reasons not fully explained in court documents, this musical exchange enraged Valero.
Police allege that Valero aggressively followed Peralta toward her vehicle, shouting curses and invading her personal space. When Peralta pushed her back, a physical altercation ensued with both women exchanging blows before being separated by a bystander.
The Beer Bottle Attack
The peace was short-lived. As Peralta turned to continue walking to her car, Valero allegedly pursued her a second time. When Peralta turned around to confront her, Valero allegedly swung her right hand, striking Peralta squarely in the mouth with a half-full bottle of Corona beer.
The impact shattered Peralta’s upper lip, causing immediate and heavy bleeding.
Peralta was rushed by private vehicle to the Roy Lester Schneider Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Room at approximately 4:42 a.m.. Emergency physician Dr. Kirt M. Smith treated her for a large, 2.1-centimeter open laceration on her upper lip, which required extensive stitches both inside and outside her mouth.
Remanded to Jail
According to detectives, Valero later admitted to a third party that she was heavily intoxicated at the time of the altercation and did not intend to injure Peralta with the glass bottle.
However, when Valero turned herself in to the Richard N. Callwood Command on Tuesday evening, she was advised of her Miranda rights and declined to make an official statement to investigators.
A judge set Valero’s bail at $25,000.00. Unable to post the bond, she was remanded to the custody of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections pending her Advice of Rights hearing on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
