ST. CROIX — A Frederiksted man has been charged with domestic violence-related offenses after his wife told police he repeatedly struck her, squeezed her throat and threatened to kill her during an altercation at their home on October 8.
Wayne Gonzales was arrested Friday, October 9, after police responded to a 911 call from his wife the previous evening. Officers arriving at the residence found the woman locked inside, uncertain whether her husband was still on the property. After confirming that he had left, officers arranged for her to be transported by ambulance to the hospital.
While in the emergency room, the woman told investigators that the confrontation began as she sat on the couch eating dinner. Mr. Gonzales had sneezed while in the kitchen, and she asked him to step outside the kitchen before sneezing. According to her account, the request angered her husband, who approached her, stood over her and began shouting threats to kill her.
The woman said she stood up and told Mr. Gonzales to back away, but he instead began striking her repeatedly about the body. She warned that she would call the police if he hit her again, but he allegedly struck her once more, leading to a physical struggle.
The confrontation moved to the couch, where Mr. Gonzales ended up on top of his wife. She told police that he grabbed her by the throat and squeezed, restricting her breathing. She managed to free herself and placed her arm around his neck in a chokehold, but said he continued punching her in the eye while threatening to kill her.
The woman eventually agreed to release her husband if he stopped hitting her. Once she loosened her grip, Mr. Gonzales left the residence, and she locked herself inside before calling 911.
She also told investigators that this was not the first time her husband had assaulted her. According to her account, his behavior had become increasingly aggressive following a series of strokes and worsened when he did not take his medication.
Police located Mr. Gonzales at a family member's residence on Friday and placed him under arrest. He reportedly denied that any altercation had occurred.
Mr. Gonzales was subsequently charged with second-degree assault, simple assault and battery, and disturbing the peace by fighting, all as crimes of domestic violence.
According to public court records reviewed by V.I. Consortium, Mr. Gonzales appeared before Magistrate Judge Christopher Timmons on Monday, October 12, for an advice-of-rights hearing. The outcome of that hearing has not yet been made public, although an arraignment is scheduled for November 23. Information concerning bail and any conditions of release was not available as of press time.
