Purple Knife Attack at 'Deh Rumors' Bar Leaves Patron Stabbed in the Neck
By JOHN McCARTHY / St. Croix Sun News Reporter
ST. CROIX — A St. Croix man is behind bars facing multiple felony assault and weapons charges after he allegedly trapped a fellow patron in a corner at a local bar and restaurant, told him "this is your last chance," and drove a purple-colored blade straight into the front of the man's neck.
The suspect, George Clarke, fled the scene in a red Ford Ranger truck but surrendered to authorities the following night. Upon arrest, Clarke claimed to investigators that a multi-bar drinking binge left him with "no memory" of the bloody assault.
‘One More Chance to Do What?’
According to sworn Superior Court filings, VIPD Officers Marcos Chico and Shelly Dennery were dispatched by VITEMA'S 911 Emergency Call Center at approximately 7:32 PM on Thursday, June 3, 2026, following urgent reports of a stabbing at the Deh Rumors bar and restaurant.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a chaotic scene and made immediate contact with the victim, Sheldon Mark. Mark stated that he had been out in the parking lot taking a phone call before stepping back inside the establishment.
As he re-entered, he was immediately confronted by Clarke. Without warning, Clarke looked at him and stated twice: "I'm going to give you one more chance."
Confused, Mark replied, "One more chance to do what? I am coming in to go back out."
Dockets detail that Clarke ignored the question, pinned Mark by the shoulder with his left hand, and delivered a sudden impact to Mark's neck area. Mark initially thought nothing of the physical blow until he looked down, saw blood rapidly soaking into his shirt, and spotted a distinct, purple-colored knife blade clutched in Clarke's right hand.
Following the strike, Clarke coldly asked the bleeding victim, "What did you call me?" before Mark could step away.
The Kitchen First Aid and Surveillance Proof
The bar's staff quickly jumped into life-saving mode. Bartender Zenaida Valerio witnessed the victim grabbing his neck as blood began to drip, noticing Clarke holding the short purple weapon. When she demanded to know what happened, Clarke simply uttered, "Nothing," before walking out, jumping into his red Ford Ranger (license plate CHT-641), and speeding away.
Valerio immediately alerted the owner's wife, Jasmina Trinidad. Trinidad and her husband pulled the heavily bleeding victim into the restaurant's kitchen area to get him safely away from the floor. The bar owner removed his own shirt and vest, tightly wrapping the fabric around Mark's neck and applying heavy manual pressure to stop the bleeding while Trinidad dialed 911.
While Emergency Medical Technicians J. Livine, N. Wilson, and M. Garvey arrived to treat the puncture wound—which was assessed to be just under an inch deep—Mark remarkably refused transport to the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital, stating the wound did not appear to be immediately life-threatening.
Trinidad subsequently turned over high-definition video surveillance footage to the VIPD. The dockets note the video explicitly destroys any room for interpretation: the footage shows Clarke pinning Mark into a corner of the bar with his left hand and driving the short blade into his neck with his right hand.
‘I Am Supposed to Have One, Yes’
An All-Points Bulletin was broadcast across the territory. After a check of the truck's registration led officers to an overgrown, abandoned property at 87 E Grove, Clarke realized the net was closing. On Friday night, June 6, at 10:27 PM, he marched into the Wilbur H. Francis Command Station and turned himself in.
During a recorded audio and video interview with Officer Chico, Clarke was read his Miranda rights. When asked directly by detectives if he owned a highly unusual purple knife, Clarke admitted, "I am supposed to have one, yes."
However, Clarke attempted to completely distance himself from the violence, claiming he spent his evening consuming heavy amounts of alcohol at the Limeview bar before traveling to Deh Rumors for more drinks, maintaining he had a total memory blackout regarding the stabbing.
Assistant Attorney General Katia M. Bouza has formally approved four criminal counts against the defendant:
Third-Degree Assault (14 V.I.C. § 297(a))
Carrying or Using Dangerous Weapons (14 V.I.C. § 2251(a))
Simple Assault and Battery (14 V.I.C. § 299)
Disturbance of the Peace (14 V.I.C. § 622(1))
Clarke’s bail was set at $25,000.00 according to the court chart. Unable to post the bond, he was remanded to the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility pending his formal Advice of Rights hearing. Notably, court documents indicate Clarke has a prior criminal record on file in the territory.
