Mugshot of Vince Morris. By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — A man who reportedly went on a rampage inside his place of employment is facing the courts for destruction of property.
On Thursday, around 12:22 pm, police were called to the Wendy’s in Havensight, where they met with the restaurant’s assistant manager.
She told officers that she clocked out her employee, Vince Morris, around midday, because she had found him sleeping in the storage room upstairs instead of working on the floor. Upon being woken up by his manager and asked to leave the store, Morris reportedly went berserk.
Shouting out that he was going to rob the store, Morris allegedly went to the kitchen downstairs, pulled open the freezer, and began tossing items onto the floor - seasoned fries, croissants, cookies, and tater tots. He reportedly poured the oil from the restaurant’s oil pan onto the floor as well, before giving items on the shelves the same treatment. Officers noted cups, salt and pepper packets, and various other items strewn across the floor.
Two other employees witnessed the incident, and police learned that the store was covered by security cameras. The assistant manager filled out the paperwork to conduct a citizen’s arrest, and Morris was taken to the Richard N. Callwood Command police station where he was charged with destruction of property and disturbance of the peace.
In court on Friday, the presiding judge maintained bail at $500, but allowed the 32-year old native of Dominica to post 5 percent of that sum in cash to secure release. No third-party custodian was required for Morris, but he will not be allowed to travel outside the St. Thomas/St. John district without the court’s written permission, nor will he be permitted to consume alcohol or a restricted substance, or to possess firearms or ammunition.
Morris will have to contact the probation office weekly via telephone, and if he loses his job at Wendy’s, which the judge said “looked imminent,” he will have to immediately notify the probation office and commence a work search, submitting written proof of that search weekly.
