MAGENS BAY FESTIVAL ASSAULT: ‘King Of The Wings’ Participant Arrested For Repeatedly Backhanding Girlfriend In Front Of Crowds
By JOHN McCARTHY / St. Croix Sun News Reporter
MAGENS BAY — What was supposed to be a celebratory day of community competition at the annual "King of the Wings" festival turned into a violent domestic abuse intervention after a participant repeatedly backhanded his girlfriend in front of shocked festival employees and stage performers. The suspect, Elvet Carty-Connor, was arrested by responding units at Magens Bay Beach and remains held without bail under the strict mandates of the Virgin Islands Domestic Violence Statute.
The incident occurred during the evening hours of Saturday, June 13, 2026, when Officer Jahlema Rieara was dispatched to the beach property regarding an active domestic assault. Upon arrival, police made contact with private security coordinator Agent Kenneth Arthur. Agent Arthur informed police that the violence had escalated so publicly that Tony Rosario of Westline Production, who was actively performing on the festival stage, interrupted his broadcast to shout directly at the suspect over the microphone, ordering him to stop hitting the victim. Rosario's public intervention prompted security officers to cut through the heavy crowds toward a black truck where Carty-Connor was standing over a visibly distraught, crying female.
The victim initially refused to cooperate with security due to fear, but later traveled to the Richard N. Callwood Command to give a formal statement to Officer Rieara after officers observed severe lacerations and bleeding on the inside of her upper lip. The victim explained that she had traveled to Magens Bay to support Carty-Connor, who was an active cooking participant in the festival. The friction began when Carty-Connor’s aunt arrived at their tent with ice cream, prompting the victim to walk to the vendor truck with a cousin to grab some for herself. After waiting in the heavy lines for ten minutes, the aunt warned her that the last shuttle bus out of the beach was scheduled to leave at 6:30 p.m., causing the victim to return to the tent to coordinate logistics with her boyfriend.
According to sworn victim testimony, Carty-Connor reacted with immediate rage, accusing her of being gone too long and screaming at her for speaking too loudly in front of his festival employees. When the victim went quiet to de-escalate the situation, Carty-Connor allegedly struck her twice across the face with a violent backhand motion. Distressed, the victim fled between two parked vehicles to call a friend for an emergency ride. Carty-Connor pursued her to the parking area, launching into another verbal tirade before delivering multiple heavy backhands directly to her mouth, causing her lip to rupture and bleed heavily. When the bleeding victim confronted him about the injury, Carty-Connor allegedly backhanded her three additional times before two male festival-goers bravely rushed in to physically separate the parties and hold the suspect until the police arrived.
