CRUZ BAY — An island dispute erupted in a bloody mid-evening assault in the center of Cruz Bay on Wednesday, February 18, which left high-season pedestrian and vehicular traffic being routed through the V.I. Port Authority facility at Cruz Bay Creek while authorities examined a bloody street front crime scene.
The pulse-pounding nightly music of Cap’s Place was interrupted when the attack, which began in front of Nature’s Nook produce stand in a well-lit section of the waterfront heavily-traversed by visitors walking to Mongoose Junction or traveling to and from the North Shore Road, Route 20, through the V.I. National Park, continued down the busy street toward the U.S. Post Office until it reached the popular street-front bar.
“There was blood all over the place,” said one observer. “A pick-up truck was covered in blood and the guy was chased down the street towards Cap’s Place.”
“They closed the road and directed traffic through the Port Authority’s bulkhead parking lot while the police investigated before the street was washed down,” the eyewitness added.
Defendant Claims To Be Victim
Kenson Jolly, 25, was placed on $75,000 bail at his initial court appearance on Feb. 20 and ordered to appear at an arraignment on March 5 in Superior Court. Jolly, who told police he turned the tables on someone who attacked him, was being held in the St. Thomas Criminal Justice Complex following the machete assault.
The victim of the alleged Wednesday night assault, who was identified by police as Rupert Walters, was transported by ambulance boat immediately after the incident for emergency surgery at the Roy L. Schneider Hospital on St. Thomas. Hospital officials said the man was treated for cuts and a head injury.
Jolly complained to police that he and the victim had had an altercation earlier in the evening, according to court documents. The defendant said he walked away after being struck in the head by a man he said had antagonized him on an ongoing basis.
Pocket Knife V. Machete
But later, Jolly said, he confronted Walters near Nature’s Nook, saying he wanted to be left alone, according to a VIPD release. An argument ensued and Jolly said the man produced a pocket knife and cut him on the face, according to the VIPD.
A few moments later, the knife-wielding attacker left and returned with a machete, striking Jolly on the shoulder, the statement said. A second struggle began and Jolly told police he wrestled the machete away from his alleged attacker, the VIPD said in a written statement.
By the time police arrived on the scene Walters was lying on the ground, covered with lacerations.
Minutes after locating the victim, V.I.P.D. officers searching the area found Jolly, who was covered in blood, according to police.
Charges brought against Jolly include three counts of first degree assault, two counts of third degree assault, mayhem and use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a violent crime.
Fortunately, the proprietors of Cap’s Place regularly scrub and hose down the intersection in front of the popular night spot early every morning – whether it needs it or not.