Mugshot of Vernon Sackey Jr. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. CROIX — A judge has ordered house arrest for a man accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s house and assaulting her friend.
On Sunday police were assigned to conduct a follow-up investigation into a burglary that reportedly occurred in the Orange Grove area. The victim told police that she had arrived home with a friend around 1:00 a.m. and heard her bedroom window being pried open. She observed her ex-boyfriend Vernon Sackey Jr. entering her residence through the window. She then ran into another bedroom and locked the door then overheard her ex-boyfriend fighting with her friend. She subsequently called for police assistance but when she went into the bedroom, both Sackey and her friend were gone and the back door was open.
According to the probable cause fact sheet, she told police that she did not invite Sackey to her residence and did not give him permission to enter her home. She also told police that she has a permanent restraining order against him which was signed in May 2022. Police later verified this and confirmed that the restraining order prohibited Sackey from having any direct or indirect contact with the woman.
When police spoke to the woman’s friend he explained that he was inside the residence when he heard someone entering the bedroom. He then got off the bed and stood by the doorway where Sackey began to attack him. He told police that he defended himself and the fight continued into the living room where Sackey picked up a broomstick and began assaulting him with it. The man further stated that when Sackey was fleeing the residence he took his Gucci slippers and ran out of the house.
Police noted that the man had sustained a small cut on his shoulder and bruising to his forearm. They also observed that the bedroom window was bent out of shape and saw a piece of the broken broomstick on the living room floor.
Law enforcement officers were unsuccessful in their initial attempts to apprehend Sackey. However, an All Points Bulletin was aired later that evening and Sackey was present at the police station with his attorney on Tuesday morning.
He turned himself in without incident and was advised of his rights before being arrested for first-degree burglary as an act of domestic violence. He was additionally charged with contempt of court as an act of domestic violence and third-degree assault.
Sackey appeared before a judge on Friday and bail was set at $25,000 with an allowance for his release upon the posting of 10 percent in cash. The judge noted that the accused has previous court matters involving the same woman and is currently on probation. She further stressed he has a permanent restraining order against him and that he has demonstrated that he is a danger to at least one member of the community. Consequently, upon his release, the defendant will be placed on 24-hour house arrest with an electronic monitor and will need to be supervised by a third-party custodian at all times. He is strictly forbidden from having any form of direct or indirect contact with the complainant and is not to enter her residence under any circumstances. Sackey was not granted the customary one opportunity to retrieve any belongings he may have at the residence. He has also been ordered to have no contact with the witness in this matter.
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