Mugshot of Craig Canegata. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. CROIX — A man was arrested after a greeting from female passers by prompted a violent outburst.
According to court documents, on Sunday evening, police were dispatched to the Christiansted boardwalk after two women reported being assaulted. Responding officers met a woman who said she and her girlfriend had left their short-term rental accommodation near Church Street sometime earlier.
As the women were reportedly walking toward the boardwalk, they encountered a man, later identified as Craig Canegata, standing and staring at them. When they greeted him as they passed, Canegata reacted angrily. He allegedly began following them, questioning why they had wished him a good evening and whether they knew him. His behavior reportedly became increasingly aggressive, culminating in him spitting in one of the women’s faces.
Canegata allegedly continued his aggression, slapping down the hand one of the women raised in an attempt to protect themselves. The duo decided to walk away, but when one woman looked back she saw Canegata picking up a large rock from a nearby garden bed. He reportedly threw the rock at the retreating women, narrowly missing them. Instead, the rock struck a wooden shutter attached to a building, causing damage. Canegata also reportedly threw a glass beer bottle at the woman. That missed as well, with the bottle smashing at the women’s feet.
The second woman corroborated her girlfriend’s account of the incident. Canegata was also nearby. Police, who say they found him arguing with himself, detained him and transported him to the Ancilmo Marshall Command police station for questioning. Canegata reportedly claimed not to recall any of what had recently transpired.
He was then taken to the Juan F. Luis hospital for a psychological evaluation, where an emergency room physician medically cleared him and suggested that he be arrested. Officers did just that, charging Canegata with third-degree assault, simple assault and battery, throwing bodily fluid or waste at a person, destruction of property, and disturbance of the peace. He was then remanded into custody to await his first court appearance, which was scheduled for Tuesday.
As of press time, there is no information available to the public on whether that hearing did occur.
