How Social Media Video Helped Detectives Track Down Suspect in Festival Ferry Beatdown
By: St. Croix Sun News Desk
ST. THOMAS — When a chaotic early-morning brawl erupted at the Urman Victor Fredericks Marine Terminal in Red Hook following St. John Festival celebrations, law enforcement faced a sprawling crowd and conflicting accounts. But it was viral social media video recorded by bystanders that ultimately provided detectives with the clear evidence needed to identify key aggressors.
VIDEO EVIDENCE TELLS THE STORY
According to sworn court documents filed in Superior Court, a victim was hospitalized with severe facial fractures and head trauma following the July 1 incident. Initial investigation at the scene was hampered by crowd confusion, but video circulating online gave Criminal Investigation Bureau detectives a frame-by-frame look at the assault.
In the footage, investigators identified T-Kori Deshatlo standing over the defenseless victim as she lay on the roadway, actively participating in a mob beatdown. The video also captured Deshatlo shoving a minor to the ground when she tried to intervene.
POLICE TRACK DOWN SUSPECT
Connecting the video to a named individual proved to be another hurdle. Initial tips pointed officers toward an alias, "Tikori Jarvis," which yielded no matches in territory motor vehicle databases or school records. It was not until VIPD's Juvenile Bureau stepped in on August 7 that investigators formally identified the suspect as T-Kori Deshatlo. After officers visited his Bovoni residence, Deshatlo turned himself in to law enforcement on August 11.
PRETRIAL RELEASE CONDITIONS
Deshatlo appeared before Magistrate Judge Julie Smith Todman for his Advice of Rights hearing, where probable cause was upheld for Third-Degree Assault, Simple Assault, and Disturbance of the Peace. Judge Todman set total bail at $25,000 but allowed Deshatlo to post 10% ($2,500) in cash to secure his release.
Under strict court conditions, he was placed in the third-party custody of his mother, ordered to report weekly to probation, and barred from approaching within 25 feet of the victim.
