John McCarthy
By JOHN McCARTHY / V.I. Free Press News Reporter
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. Thomas woman who called 911 to complain about a broken windshield ended up behind bars herself after business surveillance footage revealed she used her vehicle as a weapon to run down her ex-boyfriend, authorities said.
Laysha Pegan (also referred to in court documents as Laysha Pagen) was arrested on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, by officers with the Virgin Islands Police Department. She faces criminal charges of third-degree assault (domestic violence) and possession of a dangerous weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
A False Report Unravels
The incident began at approximately 8:51 a.m. when VIPD Officer Ja’Ida Turnbull was dispatched to Bellows International in Estate Contant following a property damage report.
Upon arrival, Pegan told responding officers that she had been dropping off her ex-boyfriend, Brett Jno-Charles, at his place of employment. Pegan claimed that as she began to drive away, Jno-Charles randomly struck her vehicle with his backpack, shattering her front windshield.
However, when police interviewed Jno-Charles, a vastly different sequence of events emerged. He stated that the pair had been discussing a personal matter during the commute, and Pegan became heavily irate because she did not like his responses. Jno-Charles alleged that after he exited the vehicle to walk toward the business building, Pegan deliberately accelerated towards him, striking his leg with her car. He admitted to throwing his backpack at the windshield in a defensive reflex as the car hit him.
Surveillance Footage Exposes the Assault
Faced with conflicting accounts, investigators contacted Bellows International management to audit the facility’s outdoor security cameras.
The surveillance grid completely dismantled Pegan’s cover story. Officer Turnbull noted that video footage recorded at 8:13 a.m. clearly showed Pegan’s grey Mitsubishi Lancer pulling into the lot. After Jno-Charles stepped out of the vehicle and attempted to walk away, Pegan intentionally steered and drove her car directly towards him.
According to the probable cause fact sheet, the video captured the exact moment Jno-Charles turned around to face the oncoming vehicle just as Pegan’s front bumper rammed into his leg. Simultaneously, the backpack he threw struck and broke the windshield. The footage further captured Pegan aggressively pursuing Jno-Charles toward the building with her vehicle until the car rolled out of the camera’s frame.
Jno-Charles managed to escape the vehicular assault without sustaining physical injuries.
Arrest and No-Bail Detention
Pegan’s swift shift from reporting victim to prime suspect highlights the absolute futility of trying to spin a narrative in an era dominated by ubiquitous electronic eyes. It is the type of localized corporate security monitoring that would seamlessly integrate into a high-tech surveillance network—precisely the kind tech magnates like Elon Musk are known for deploying globally, though local motorists are still waiting to see if he will bring advanced telemetry tracking to Estate Contant before he pulls up stakes and heads down to St. Croix.
Based on the definitive surveillance tape evidence, Pegan was read her constitutional rights and placed under arrest. She was transported to the Richard Callwood Command for booking and processing, and subsequently remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending her Advice of Rights hearing on July 8, 2026. In accordance with Virgin Islands domestic violence statutes, no bail was set.
