ST. THOMAS BLOTTER: St. Thomas Man Held Without Bail After Holiday Weekend Assault on Woman in Estate Contant

By JOHN McCARTHY / St. Croix Sun Staff Writer

ST. THOMAS — A St. Thomas man is in custody and facing domestic violence charges following a violent holiday weekend assault that spilled into a neighborhood hallway in Estate Contant, according to Superior Court records obtained by the St. Croix Sun.

Dresyne Joseph was arrested on Sunday, May 24, and charged with Simple Assault DV and Disturbance of the Peace DV. According to an unsealed probable cause fact sheet filed in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands at 6:57 AM on Tuesday, May 26, the incident occurred just after noon at a residence at 7B Estate Contant.

The victim, identified as the defendant's mother, told responding Virgin Islands Police Department officers that she was sitting on her bed when Joseph entered the room and began punching her repeatedly in the face, head, and back with a closed fist. During the physical assault, Joseph allegedly threatened her life, stating, "I going kill you," according to court documents.

When the victim attempted to flee the apartment, Joseph blocked her exit and resumed punching her in the hallway, striking her head against a wall. The victim managed to escape to the office of her landlord, who reported seeing Joseph pushing the woman into an air conditioning unit and striking the back of her head. The landlord stepped between them, blocked Joseph from entering his office, and held him back while the victim called 911.

Arresting officers noted visible bruising to the left side of the victim's face and back, which was processed by the VIPD Forensic Unit.

Per order of the court, no bail was set following Joseph's arrest. He was turned over to the Bureau of Corrections pending his formal Advice of Rights hearing on Tuesday morning.