Man naked in rental car leads Tuesday’s court docket

OFFICIAL BOOKING PHOTO: Warren Freeman, pictured in a booking photograph provided by the Virgin Islands Police Department. (Photo by: VIPD)

By JOHN McCARTHY / St. Croix Sun Staff Writer

KINGSHILL — A St. Croix man with a documented history of violent encounters involving motor vehicles is back in the custody of the Bureau of Corrections following a reported morning incident.

Warren Freeman, 56, whose previous legal entanglements include a 2022 attempted murder charge following a naked confrontation in a rental car, now faces new scrutiny as the St. Croix Sun's "Direct-to-Dockets" investigation examines the status of his prior cases.

The wheels of justice turned early Tuesday morning at the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands on St. Croix, as Honorable Judge Yolan C. Brow Ross presided over a Criminal STX session in Courtroom CR-103. Among the matters addressed during the 9:00 a.m. docket were the Advice of Rights for two individuals facing serious local charges.

Lionel Benjamin appeared before the court to face a multi-count list of allegations including contempt of court under 14 V.I.C. 442(4), simple assault and battery under 14 V.I.C. 299(1), and petit larceny. Benjamin was also charged with destruction of property, specifically cited under 14 V.I.C. 1747(2), marking a complex legal road ahead. The Office of the Territorial Public Defender was present to represent his interests as the Virgin Islands Department of Justice moves forward with the prosecution.

In a separate matter, the 56-year-old Freeman was brought before Judge Brow Ross to address a charge of third-degree assault. Freeman’s case, docketed as SX-2026-CR-00122, centers on a violation of 14 V.I.C. 297(a)(2), a statute that involves assault with a deadly weapon or the intent to commit a felony. Like Benjamin, Freeman is receiving representation from the Territorial Public Defender’s office.

Court Records Note: All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.