John McCarthy
By JOHN McCARTHY / V.I. Free Press News Reporter
ST. THOMAS — A St. Thomas woman with an “extensive criminal record” is behind bars after allegedly stabbing another woman twice in the back simply because the victim refused to return a casual handshake greeting, police records show.
The suspect, Renique Francis, was arrested late Monday night, July 13, 2026, after police tracked her to a nearby alley where she was found calmly playing dominoes with blood still visible on her pants.
A Rejected Handshake Turns Bloody
According to a sworn police affidavit filed in the Superior Court on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, the violent encounter unfolded outside the La Chia Bar on Kronprindsens Gade.
The victim, Anilsis Adames, told detectives that she was sitting outside the establishment socializing with her friends when Francis approached the group. Francis attempted to “dapp” her up—a common slang term for a friendly handshake or fist-bump greeting—but Adames refused the gesture.
The rejection apparently triggered a quiet, immediate rage.
When Adames stood up moments later to enter the bar, Francis allegedly rose, drew a weapon, flicked her wrist, and stabbed Adames twice in the lower left back before casually fleeing the scene. Adames reported feeling two sharp pains in her lower back and had to be propped up by her friends, who rushed her to the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital in a private vehicle.
Playing Dominoes with Blood-Stained Pants
At approximately 11:13 p.m. on Monday, VIPD Officer Mikhail Woodley was on sector patrol when a citizen flagged him down near the Jala Jala area, yelling that someone had just been stabbed.
Upon arriving at the scene, screaming bystanders pointed officers toward Simmonds Alley, describing the suspect as a “fatty female who frequently causes issues in the area” matching the description of Renique Francis.
A tactical team of five VIPD officers—Woodley, Travis Richardson, Clifford Callwood, Jonathan Rey, and Delvin Duggins—marched into Simmonds Alley to conduct a search.
They located Francis sitting at a table, casually playing dominoes. When ordered to stand, Francis reportedly asked, “What I do?” Officers immediately noticed fresh blood stains on her pants.
Francis was escorted back to the crime scene, where multiple eyewitnesses positively identified her as the stabber.
Caught on Camera
Detectives later secured and reviewed surveillance footage from the bar. The video confirmed the victim’s account, clearly showing Adames and her friends sitting outside before Adames stood up and turned her back to Francis. The camera captured Francis standing up, flicking her wrist, and plunging a weapon into Adames’ back.
Bystanders also reported seeing Francis brandishing a black pocketknife prior to the unprovoked attack.
The victim was treated at the emergency room by Dr. Kirt M. Smith for a double stab wound to her lower left back. Because Adames primarily speaks Spanish, VIPD detectives had to conduct the hospital interview using Google Translate.
Extensive Rap Sheet
Skeete was turned over to the Bureau of Corrections after she reportedly refused to be processed and booked by forensic technicians.
Because of her extensive, multi-page National Crime Information Center (NCIC) criminal record and VIPD rap sheet, prosecutors are moving aggressively. Francis has been slapped with multiple charges, including:
- Third-Degree Assault (14 V.I.C. § 297(a)(2))
- Carrying or Using a Dangerous Weapon During a Crime of Violence (14 V.I.C. § 2251(a)(2)(B))
- Disturbance of the Peace (14 V.I.C. § 622(1))
She remained locked up pending her Advice of Rights hearing on Wednesday morning.
