Mugshot of Jonathan Alvarez Turnbull. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS - A man appeared in court on Friday facing assault charges, after his wife said he got violent because she danced in public.
Jonathan Turnbull was arrested on Thursday after his wife called police to report that he had assaulted her. She said they were out dancing at a bar in Red Rock when her husband started accusing her of trying to entice the other men in the establishment with her movements.
Turnbull reportedly began calling the woman he married derogatory names, continuing to verbally abuse her even after she protested that she was dancing only for him.
The woman said the two of them eventually left the bar, and when they got to the vehicle her employer had rented on her behalf, Turnbull reportedly jumped into the driver's seat. She asked him to switch places, but she told police he instead reached over and grabbed his wife by the throat.
The woman says she tried to fight back, but as she was attempting to exit the vehicle with her back towards him, Turnbull was able to get her in a chokehold, causing injuries to her face and neck. His attack on his wife also left her with a swollen finger with visible teeth marks where she says he bit her, and patches where he reportedly ripped several braids out of her scalp.
Her attempts to attract attention by sticking her hands out of the window did not work, she told police, but she was eventually able to escape her husband's assault. Once she was out of the vehicle, however, Turnbull reportedly drove off, leaving her stranded.
His wife says she walked for what seemed like hours, until someone stopped to give her a ride to the police station. In a statement before the courts, officers say when she came in, there were red marks on the neckline of her shirt, and she bore a cut on the left side of her chin. She asked to be taken to her apartment, but even through her uncontrollable sobs, the woman refused medical treatment for her injuries and indicated that she did not want her husband arrested.
Police arrested Turnbull anyway, charging him with second-degree assault, simple assault and disturbance of the peace as acts of domestic violence.
In court on Friday, a judge ruled that Turnbull be allowed to post $1,000 cash to secure his release. Once posted he will be released to his third-party custodian. Turnbull will be barred from leaving the St. Thomas- St. Croix District without the court’s written permission. He must report to the Office of Probation once a week and is prohibited from entering the premises where the incident took place. Turnbull is to have no unlawful contact with his wife. He is prohibited from possessing a firearm, ammunition or dangerous weapon.
