Suspect Allegedly Pressed Machete Blade Against Relative’s Neck, Causing Hand Lacerations During Escalated Family Altercation Near Dolphin Market
By JOHN McCARTHY / V.I. Free Press News Reporter
CRUZ BAY — An ongoing probate battle over family property on St. John erupted into bloody violence over the weekend, leaving one resident wounded and another behind bars on heavy felony charges after a machete-wielding man allegedly held a blade to his relative’s neck, court documents revealed.
Lee V. Thomas Sr. was arrested by authorities following a tense, multi-witness confrontation outside a home located just past the Dolphin Market. The incident, which was partially captured on residential surveillance cameras, highlights the extreme volatility of local property inheritance feuds when legal probate delays boil over into physical criminality.
A Disturbance Past the Dolphin Market
The emergency dispatch triggered at approximately 5:57 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, 2026, when responding police officers were sent to the first residence on the right side of the roadway following the Dolphin Market.
Upon arrival, responding officers encountered a chaotic scene with multiple individuals engaged in a heated, screaming argument outside the home. Police quickly moved to separate the warring factions to prevent further physical escalation before interviewing the participants and witnesses individually.
According to sworn statements, Thomas Sr. arrived at the property carrying a large machete after returning from cutting grass. Witnesses reported that Thomas Sr. immediately began aggressively striking the steel blade against the building’s wall while confronting his relative, who was sitting quietly on the outdoor staircase.
Machete Pressed to the Throat
The confrontation escalated instantly when Thomas Sr. reportedly began spitting on his relative, unleashing a barrage of verbal threats. Multiple witnesses told police that Thomas Sr. then deliberately placed the sharp blade of the machete directly against the relative’s neck.
In a desperate bid to defend their life, the relative immediately lunged forward and grabbed the bare blade to pull it away from their throat. The defensive struggle resulted in several small, bleeding lacerations to both of the relative’s hands. Other family members on the scene immediately swarmed the altercation, physically subduing Thomas Sr., wrestling the weapon out of his grip, and separating the two before fatal injuries could occur.
Family members advised police that this near-tragedy was the direct result of a toxic, ongoing family dispute regarding the ownership of the residence, which is actively tied up in territorial probate proceedings. The family reported that Thomas Sr. routinely harasses the home’s occupants, notes that a restraining order is already in place to protect individuals at the property, and stated that Thomas Sr. frequently posts written threats ordering his family members to pack up and vacate.
Corroborating Evidence and Shifting Explanations
When questioned by officers on the scene, Thomas Sr. admitted that he had returned home with the machete and acknowledged that he repeatedly struck the blade against the wall during the confrontation. While he denied an explicit, intentional attempt to chop or stab his relative, he acknowledged that a violent physical struggle occurred while the weapon was in his hands and admitted that the relative suffered hand injuries from grabbing his blade.
Throughout the police interview, Thomas Sr. repeatedly ignored questions about the assault, shifting the conversation towards the ongoing probate court battle and voicing his absolute belief that his family members were trespassing on his land. He also openly admitted to placing written eviction notices on the building.
Unfortunately for the suspect, residential surveillance footage reviewed by officers directly shattered his defense. The video clearly showed Thomas Sr. arriving with the machete and immediately marching directly towards the seated relative with the weapon drawn, corroborating the witness timelines perfectly.
Ferry Transit to St. Thomas Booking
Officers on the scene quickly established probable cause for a domestic violence intervention. Thomas Sr. was placed under arrest without further incident. After allowing him to lock his door under close guard, police recovered the weapon inside the home, which was formally secured by a police sergeant to be processed by forensics.
Thomas Sr. was initially transported to the Myrah Keating Smith Clinic on St. John, where he was treated for minor injuries sustained during the family scrum and medically cleared by a physician. From there, he was processed at the Leander Jurgen Command Police Station in Cruz Bay before being placed under guard on a transit ferry to St. Thomas.
Upon arrival on St. Thomas, he was taken to the Richard Callwood Police Station, where Forensic Detective V. Monsanto processed his fingerprints and took an official booking mugshot. Thomas Sr. was subsequently remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections with no bail automatically permitted under strict domestic violence guidelines.
He stands charged with three criminal counts:
- Third-Degree Domestic Violence Assault (Title 14 VIC § 297(a)(2); 16 VIC § 91(b)(1))
- Disturbance of the Peace (Title 14 VIC § 622(1))
- Carrying or Using a Dangerous Weapon During a Crime of Violence (Title 14 VIC § 2251(a)(2)(B))
