By: Virgin Islands Free Press News Desk
CHRISTIANSTED — A St. Croix mother faces criminal charges of child abuse and domestic violence after an off-duty detective driving through Five Corners witnessed her physically assaulting her 8-year-old daughter on the sidewalk Wednesday morning.
Alexis Vazquez was taken into custody on July 22, 2026, around 10:50 a.m. following an altercation directly adjacent to the busy traffic light.
Incident Observed At Five Corners
According to a sworn probable cause fact sheet filed by Detective Sarah McFarlande of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, the officer was driving an unmarked police unit near Five Corners when she observed Vazquez on the sidewalk with her two minor children—an 8-year-old female and a minor male.
Detective McFarlande reported seeing Vazquez grab her daughter’s head with a “folded fist of hair” and aggressively “ragging” the child’s head back and forth and side to side. Vazquez then released the child’s hair, grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her across the street while the young girl was crying and visibly distraught.
Hostile Confrontation With Detective
Upon seeing the physical exchange, Detective McFarlande activated her blue emergency lights and approached Vazquez to investigate.
The encounter escalated quickly as Vazquez became aggressive, shouting at the officer to not ask “any fucking questions,” asserting it was her child and she could do whatever she wanted.
Despite being instructed to stop, Vazquez continued walking across the street while cursing. She repeatedly directed her minor son to call her boyfriend, “Bruce,” and told the detective, “It is my fucking child, and I could discipline her however the fuck I wanted to!”
Officers placed Vazquez under arrest and transported her to the Wilbur H. Francis Command in Frederiksted for processing.
Dispute Over Store Candy
During custodial questioning after receiving her Miranda warnings, Vazquez offered her account of what triggered the sidewalk altercation.
She explained that while inside a nearby store, her daughter had asked for candy. Vazquez told the child she needed to return to their apartment first to retrieve a payment card with sufficient funds.
According to Vazquez, as they reached the traffic pole at Five Corners, the 8-year-old became upset, began cursing, and refused to walk further, declaring she was not going anywhere. Vazquez stated the child wrapped both arms around the light pole and refused to let go until she got her candy.
Vazquez admitted to pulling her daughter’s hair twice to force her to release her grip on the pole. She acknowledged to investigators that she could have handled the situation better, stating she does not normally physically discipline her children.
Court Appearance and Release Conditions
Vazquez was charged with:
- Child Abuse
- Simple Assault and Battery / Domestic Violence
Court records indicate Vazquez has a prior criminal record on file.
Because the charges included domestic violence, no initial bail was set at booking, and she was remanded to the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility.
At her Advice of Rights hearing on Thursday, July 23, 2026, before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Christopher M. Timmons, Sr., probable cause was upheld. Judge Timmons set bail at $60,000 and ordered Vazquez released on a fully unsecured bond under supervised pretrial release conditions.
The Office of the Territorial Public Defender was appointed to represent her, and an arraignment hearing has been scheduled for August 12, 2026, at the R.H. Amphlett Leader Justice Center.